Pakistan Security Brief – January 8, 2010
At least 8 suspected militants are killed in an accidental explosion in Karachi; two militants are arrested and one soldier is killed in Tank; Senator John McCain visits President Asif Ali Zardari and says that drone strikes in Pakistan will continue; new information released about the motivations behind the January 1 bombing in Shah Hassan Khel; Swat offensive commander highlights operation’s successes; Interior Minister Rehman Malik mandates that all illegal immigrants leave Karachi within 15 days; Indian officials in Jammu and Kashmir say LeT behind Srinagar attack; suicide bombing in Khyber Agency injures 12; political violence in Karachi results in more deaths.
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An explosion at a home in Karachi has killed at least 8 suspected militants. The blast is believed to have been set accidentally set off by a suicide vest. While the identities and affiliations of the victims are still unknown, Interior Minister Rehman Malik made a statement that the individuals killed were from Swat. Authorities have found weapons, explosives, and militant literature among the rubble and two additional suspects have been arrested at the scene.[1]
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One soldier has been killed by small arms fire and two militants have been arrested during operations in Tank district and South Waziristan Agency. Security forces reported that they have cleared 20 militant compounds and have also seized an arms and ammunition cache.[2]
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On Friday, Senator John McCain headed a U.S. congressional delegation in a visit with President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss matters of U.S.-Pakistani cooperation in the fight against the Taliban. McCain had earlier stated that drone attacks against the Taliban in Pakistan have been successful and will continue but the U.S. has no intention of a military incursion into Pakistan.[3]
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The January 1 suicide bombing at a volleyball match in the village of Lakki Marwat in Shah Hassan Khel is now believed to have been an act of reprisal against local villagers for cooperation with the Pakistani government and opposition to the Taliban’s presence. Taliban militants were expelled from the area in June 2009 following several raids by security forces. The suicide bomber who perpetrated the attack was identified by villagers as the disowned son of a member of the local anti-Taliban committee.[4]
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Major-General Sajad Ghani has made a statement to the media highlighting the successes of Operation Rah-e-Nijat in Swat and also announced that the nighttime curfew in the region has been permanently lifted. Ghani, who was in charge of the offensive, claimed that the military has killed around 2000 militants and captured an additional 800. Ghani also highlighted the military’s contribution to the rebuilding of local schools, hospitals, roads, and bridges destroyed during the operation.[5]
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On Friday, Interior Minister Rehman Malik issued a statement that all illegal immigrants in Karachi must leave the city within 15 days. Malik has also promised to expand the police force in response to Karachi’s increasing violence and says the government will have a zero-tolerance policy for attacks targeting civilians.[6]
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Police in Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir claim that the two gunmen who launched a recent attack in Srinagar belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba, although this accusation has yet to be confirmed. [7]
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Twelve people have been injured by a suicide bombing in Khyber agency. The explosion occurred at the front gate to the headquarters of Ansar-ul-Islam, a banned group which has had known factional differences with Lashkar-e-Islam, another local militant group.[8]
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Ten people were killed in and around the Lyari area of Karachi on Thursday, allegedly by members of the Muttahida Quami Movement. At least six of those killed were claimed by the Pakistani People’s Party to be among either its members or supporters. On Friday, unknown gunmen killed another four people in the Garden area of the city in what could be more politically motivated violence.[9]