Pakistan Security Brief - July 9, 2009

Pakistan Security Brief – July 9, 2009

Pakistani jets reportedly bombed suspected militant positions in South Waziristan and Orakzai agency Thursday; Pakistani Prime Minister Gilani urged residents of Swat to return to their homes; a Pakistani army vehicle hit a mine outside of Quetta, killing five paramilitary soldiers; Pakistani military officials indicated TNSM leader Maulana Fazlullah was injured in recent strikes.

• According to intelligence officials, Pakistani aircraft bombarded suspected militant positions in the Ladha and Kani Guram areas of South Waziristan on Thursday; some of the officials claimed a dozen militants were killed in the strike.[1]
   
• The Pakistani military reportedly initiated airstrikes on Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistani (TTP) hideouts in lower and upper Orakzai Agency on Thursday. Unconfirmed reports indicated that sixteen militants were killed in strikes on over a dozen militant camps.[2]
   
• Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Thursday made a statement urging people to return to Swat, claiming the area had been cleared of militants. Officials indicated that several hundred families have already started to return.[3]  
   
• A Pakistani army vehicle returning from delivering food supplies to soldiers hit a landmine twenty miles east of Quetta on Thursday, reportedly killing five paramilitary soldiers.[4]
   
• A Pakistani military spokesman claimed that recent military strikes had “seriously injured” TNSM commander Maulana Fazlullah and killed militant leader Abu Jandal. [5]