Pakistan Security Brief - February 22, 2010

By Nicholas Patella February 22, 2010

Pakistan Security Brief – February 22, 2010

Top Taliban leader arrested in Nowshera; airstrike in South Waziristan kills at least 30 militants; suicide car bombing in Swat kills nine; top al-Qaeda leader killed in February 17 drone strike; CIA reportedly pushes for transfer of Baradar to US base; police stations attacked in Mansehra; two schools blown up in Mohmand; eight militants killed during search operation in Darra Adam Khel; security forces arrest militants in Hangu and Khyber; kidnapped Sikh found beheaded in Khyber; gunmen open fire on mosque in Gilgit; rocket attacks damage mills in Kohat.

Police in Nowshera district have arrested Maulvi Kabir, one of the top 10 most wanted leaders of the Taliban and the former “shadow governor” of Nangahar province in Afghanistan. Unnamed US intelligence officials stated that information obtained from the recently captured Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar led to Kabir’s arrest.[1]
A Pakistani airstrike in South Waziristan on Saturday has killed at least 30 militants. The attack targeted a hideout in the mountainous area of Shawal after military officials were tipped off to the militants’ location.[2]
At least nine people have been killed and dozens more injured after a suicide car bomb hit an army convoy travelling through the town of Mingora in Swat district.[3]
A US drone strike on February 17 in North Waziristan reportedly killed Sheikh Mansoor, a top al-Qaeda leader from Egypt who was commanding militants in Afghanistan. Mohammad Haqqani, a son of senior Afghan Taliban commander Jalaluddin Haqqani, was supposedly en route to Sheikh Mansoor’s funeral the following day when he too was killed in a US drone strike.[4]
The CIA has reportedly pushed Pakistan to allow for the transfer of Mullah Baradar to Bagram air base in Afghanistan. US officials believe that while in Pakistani custody Baradar has not divulged his extensive knowledge of critical details related to the Taliban’s operations in Afghanistan.[5]
On Saturday, militants carried out attacks on two police stations in Mansehra district. In the main city of Mansehra, militants opened fire and lobbed hand grenades at the police station, seriously wounding several officers. Fifteen minutes later, a police station in Balakot was hit by a suicide bomber. The blast killed Chief Khalil Khan killed and injured several others.[6]
Two schools in the Safi sub-district of Mohmand Agency were blown up by militants on Sunday. Remote-controlled explosives destroyed the Government Boys High School in Sando Khel and the Government Boys Middle School in Amrai Kor. No casualties were reported in the bombings. Militants have now destroyed over 30 schools in Mohmand Agency and Sunday’s explosion destroyed the only remaining boys’ high school in Safi.[7]
Security forces have killed eight militants during a search operation in the Darra Adam Khel area of Orakzai Agency. Two soldiers were also wounded in the clash.[8]
At least 34 militants have been arrested in a joint operation between police and Frontier Corps in Hangu district near the border with Orakzai Agency. In addition, a search operation in the Bara sub-district of Khyber Agency resulted in the arrest of at least 25 militants.[9]
A kidnapped Sikh has been found beheaded in the Tirah valley of Khyber Agency one day after the deadline for his ransom expired. Two weeks ago, Jaspal Sangh and two other Sikhs, who are still being held, were kidnapped from the Chora Tanga area of Tirah.[10]
Unknown gunmen opened fire on a mosque in Gilgit district on Sunday, wounding one police officer.[11]
Rocket attacks on Sunday heavily damaged flour mills in the Gumbat area of Kohat district. The attack is believed to be the result of a vendetta against NWFP housing minister Amjid Afridi, who owns the mills. No injuries were reported.[12]

[1] “Maulvi Kabir arrested from Nowshera: US TV,” Dawn, February 22, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/19-molvi-kabir-of-the-taliban-arrested-from-nowshera-hh-05,

[2] “Air strike kills 30 militants in South Waziristan,” Dawn, February 20, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/03-air-strike-kills-30-militants-in-south-waziristan-ss-02. “Pakistan Kills 30 in Airstrike on Militants,” New York Times, February 20, 2010. Available at http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/02/20/world/international-pakistan-violence.html?_r=2&ref=asia.

[3] Lehaz Ali, “Suicide car bomb kills nine in Pakistan’s Swat,” AFP, February 22, 2010. Available at http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100222/wl_sthasia_afp/pakistanunrestswat. “At least six killed in Swat explosion: police,” Dawn, February 22, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/provinces/18-blast-heard-in-mingora-city-of-swat-am-05.

[4] “Al-Qaeda leader killed in North Waziristan drone strike,” Dawn, February 20, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/provinces/12-al-qaeda%20leader%20killed%20in%20north%20waziristan%20drone%20attack--bi-03.

[5] Greg Miller, “CIA is said to seek custody of a seized Taliban chief,” Los Angeles Times, February 19, 2010. Available at http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-taliban-suspects20-2010feb20,0,1549980,print.story.

[6] Nisar Ahmad Khan, “Police stations attacked in Mansehra, Balakot,” Dawn, February 21, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/03-terrorists-attack-police-station-in-mansehra-ss-01.

[7] “Two more schools blown up in Mohmand,” The News, February 22, 2010. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=225519.

[8] “Eight militants killed in Darra clash,” The News, February 22, 2010. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=27410.

[9] “At least 34 militants arrested in Hangu,” Dawn, February 22, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/03-at-least-34-militants-arrested-in-hangu-ss-01.

[10] Ibrahim Shinwari, “Kidnapped Sikh beheaded in Tirah valley,” Dawn, February 22, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/07-beheaded-body-of-sikh-local-found-in-orakzai-ha-12. Said Nazir Afridi, “Militants behead one of three kidnapped Sikhs,” The News, February 22, 2010. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=27425.

[11] “Gunmen attack Gilgit mosque, policeman hurt,” Dawn, February 21, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/provinces/07-gunmen-attack-gilgit-mosque-policeman-hurt-ha-09.

[12] “Militants attack NWFP minister’s mills in Kohat,” Dawn, February 21, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/provinces/04-militant-attack-kohat-mills-qs-08.

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