Pakistan Security Brief – November 3, 2009
Security forces have made progress in South Waziristan and now reportedly control the important towns of Kaniguram; the United Nations withdraws all non-essential and foreign personnel from FATA and NWFP due to security concerns; a recent poll suggests that the majority of Pakistanis support the governments offensive against militants in South Waziristan.
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The Pakistani government reports that it has killed twenty-one militants in the last twenty-four hours during its offensive into South Waziristan. After securing Kaniguram the military has initiated clearance operations in the city. As the government reports progress along all three axes, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman, Azam Tariq, disputes these claims and says that only eleven TTP militants have been killed throughout the entire operation. Neither of these numbers can be confirmed by independent sources due to the military’s press-restrictions on the area (click here for more detail on operation in SWA).[1]
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The United Nations has withdrawn its entire non-Pakistani staff from the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) due to the deteriorating security situation. Officials told Dawn that the organization would continue to carry out its emergency humanitarian relief work in the area.[2]
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A recent poll released by the Gilani Research Foundation, on Tuesday, showed that the majority of Pakistanis support the military’s operations against the militants in South Waziristan. The report says that fifty-one percent of people support the offensive but also expresses concern that United States is responsible for the violence.[3]