Pakistan Security Brief - September 22, 2009�

Clashes between Pakistani security forces and Taliban militants in North and South Waziristan leave dozens dead; Pakistani authorities again restrict the movements of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba founder Hafiz Saeed; militants blow up a girls school near Peshawar.�

  • Clashes between militants and Pakistani security forces in Waziristan have left dozens dead on Tuesday. At least twenty-six militants are said to have been killed in Pakistani airstrikes in South Waziristan Agency. In neighboring North Waziristan Agency, the military claims to have killed eight militants after six hundred Taliban attacked a military outpost near the town of Razmak. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Azam Tariq claims the militants killed forty-five soldiers in the attack. Neither claim can be independently verified.[1]
  • Pakistani police have restricted the movement of Lashker-e-Tayyiba (LeT) founder, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. Reports say Saeed was barred from leaving his house for "security reasons" but police deny he is under house arrest. This development comes shortly after Pakistani authorities "filed two cases against him for giving speeches allegedly 'glorifying' jihad". India accuses LeT of being behind last year's Mumbai attacks.[2]
  • Militants on Tuesday blew up a girls school on the outskirts of Peshawar. The timed explosive is said to have "badly damaged" the building. There were no casualties as no one was present inside at the time.[3]
[1] "Security forces kill 34 militants in South Waziristan", Dawn News, September 22, 2009. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-security-forces-kill-34-militants-south-waziristan-qs-03
[2] "Pakistan curbs on Mumbai accused", BBC, September 22, 2009. Available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8266088.stm
[3] Riaz Khan, "Girls school attacked in troubled NW Pakistan", AP, September 22, 2009. Available at http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_PAKISTAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-09-22-07-34-24