Pakistan Security Brief – April 19, 2010
One soldier and up to 13 militants killed in Orakzai on Sunday; 21 militants killed in Sangara Mountains of Orakzai on Saturday; Kayani apologizes for civilian deaths; 41 people killed in attack on IDP camp; seven people die in Kohat police station attack; two NATO tankers destroyed in Khyber;23 people die in suicide bombing at market; key TTP commander killed; IED attack near school kills one child; four schools attacked in former NWFP; police foil attack in Islamabad; Zardari signs bill curbing presidential power; video of two kidnapped former ISI officials released; war games continue near Indian border; eight officials put on leave in connection with Bhutto report; Pakistani Ambassador says Pakistan does not want Taliban-ruled Afghanistan; three new corps commanders named; LeJ claim responsibility for attack; interview reveals details of suicide attack; E.U.-Pakistan summit postponed.
Orakzai and FATA
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Security forces continued their operations in the Sangara area of Orakzai on Sunday, killing 8-13 militants. One FC soldier was also reported killed in the fighting. One man was killed and three children injured in the Sheikhan area of Lower Orakzai when a stray mortar round fired by security forces targeting a militant hideout accidentally struck a nearby house.[1]
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On Saturday, approximately 21 militants were killed in overnight clashes with security forces during continued operations in the Sangara Mountains as helicopter gunships targeted Taliban positions in other areas of Orakzai, reportedly destroying three militant hideouts.[2]
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On Saturday, Army Chief of Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani issued an official apology to the Kokikhel tribe for the April 10 airstrikes in Sara Vela village of Khyber’s Tirah Valley which killed more than 40 civilians. It was also confirmed that two Frontier Corps soldiers were among those killed in the bombardment.[3]
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On Saturday, a camp for IDPs was hit with a twin suicide bombing, killing 41 people and injuring over sixty others outside Kohat. The first suicide bomber detonated his explosives near people gathering to register and receive humanitarian assistance at the Kacha Pukha camp. The second attack occurred as people came to help the wounded. A spokesman for Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attack. An opinion piece examines what this attack means and the civilian toll of the war against militants in northwest Pakistan.[4]
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On Sunday, seven people were killed when a suicide bomber drove a van laden with explosives into a police station in Kohat. Qari Hussain, the spokesman for TTP, claimed responsibility for the attack. He said that the attack was in response to a Pakistani attack on a militant-run hospital in South Waziristan.[5]
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Two tankers carrying fuel to NATO troops in Afghanistan were destroyed after a bomb placed under one of the tankers exploded and the resulting fire spread to the other tanker. The attack occurred in the Khyber Agency on Monday.[6]
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (formerly NWFP)
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Twenty-three people died when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives in a crowd at Qissa Khawani Bazaar in Peshawar on Monday. The attack occurred soon after a protest against soaring inflation and power shortages by Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist party in Pakistan.[7]
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Security forces killed key TTP commander Ibrahim alias Zubair during a search operation in the Gandeeri area of Swat on Sunday.[8]
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A timed IED exploded near a high school in Peshawar at the end of the school day on Monday, killing a young boy and injuring ten others.[9]
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Militants blew up four schools in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (formerly NWFP) on Saturday. Two of the schools were in Charsadda and the other two were in Risalpur, Nowshera.[10]
Islamabad
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Three suspects linked to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan were arrested in Islamabad. Two of the suspects were carrying approximately 20 kilograms of explosives.
Constitutional Amendment
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President Asif Ali Zardari signed the 18th Amendment to the Pakistani constitution into law on Monday. The Amendment curbs the president’s power, including removing the head of state’s power to dismiss the prime minister and dissolve the parliament.[11]
Kidnapping Video
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On Monday, militants released a video of two former ISI officers who went missing in March. They demanded the release of two militants, Mullah Kabir and Mullah Mansoor Dadullah, in exchange for the release of the two former ISI officiers, Brigadier Amir Sultan, known as Colonel Imam, and Squadron Leader Khalid Khawaja, both of whom are retired. The video indicated that another list of demands would follow.[12]
War Games
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Pakistani leaders as well as military attaches from different countries watched a demonstration of Pakistan’s military capabilities as part of Azm-e-Nau-III, Pakistan’s war games simulating a counter offensive against an invading ground force. Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani spoke to participants of the exercise saying that the “army recognizes its role in maintaining peace in the region and is aware of the challenges,” but also added that the army is “fully capable of defending the country.” The war games are taking place near Pakistan’s border with India and some speculate that they are designed to send a message to Indian leadership.[13]
Bhutto Report
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Seven police officers and a former Interior Minister spokesman were designated Officers on Special Duty and removed from active operations in response to the UN report concerning PM Benazir Bhutto's assassination. All eight officials were on duty under Musharraf’s rule.[14]
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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Pakistani ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani, said that it was not in Pakistan’s interests to see the Taliban return to power in Afghanistan in a statement on Friday. The White House, State Department, and USAID all issued statements on Friday in support of further strategic dialogues with Pakistan.[15]
New Commanders
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Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani named three new corps commanders in Quetta (Southern Command), Lahore and Mangla. Lieutenant General Khalid Shameem Wyne, the former commander of Southern Command, was appointed to Chief of General Staff at General Headquarters.[16]
Balochistan
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Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in Quetta that killed 11 people.[17]
Details of Suicide Attack
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An interview with militant Abdul Baseer and a 14 year-old would-be suicide bomber reveals the details of a suicide bombing attempt. Both were arrested before they were allowed to carry out an attack on a luxury hotel in Lahore.[18]
E.U.-Pakistan Summit
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The EU-Pakistan summit scheduled for Wednesday in Brussels has been postponed because of volcanic ash, which is disrupting air traffic in much of Europe.[19]