Pakistan Security Brief - June 3, 2011

Militants continue attack across border; Mullen: Significant cuts to U.S. military numbers in Pakistan; Senior officials reject reports about a potential military operation in NWA; Nine militants killed in Orakzai, Girl killed in Mohmand; Head of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan: ISI may have played a role in Shahzad killing; Associated Press reports on long-term impact of the testimony of David Headley; Shahzad releases book on Kashmiri role in Mumbai attacks; Strikes against load shedding in Karachi; NP leader shot dead; Three suspected LeT militants killed in Kashmir.

Militants Continue Attack across Afghan Border

• An attack conducted by around 500 militants continued for a third day Friday, resulting in the deaths of twenty-eight security officials and six civilians. Forty-five militants were also killed in the clashes. Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir summoned Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan and released a statement, declaring, "The Foreign Secretary stressed the need for stern action by the Afghan army, U.S. and NATO/ISAF forces in the area against militants and their hideouts in Afghanistan and against organizational support the militants.” Police in Upper Dir said that the majority of the fighters had retreated back into Afghanistan on Wednesday afternoon. Ehsanullah Ehsan, spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said that between forty and fifty TTP fighters took part in the operation and stated that none of them had been killed. Deputy TTP leader Fakir Mohammed stated that the group “had changed strategy and would now focus on large-scale attacks only on state targets like the one in Dir.” He said, "Our new strategy of launching big attacks on military installations was aimed at causing demoralization in the ranks of the security forces and tiring of the government."[i]

U.S.-Pakistani Relations

• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said that "very significant" cuts to U.S. military numbers in Pakistan are being made, though some troops, mostly trainers, would remain in the country. Admiral Mullen said that the operation to kill bin Laden had triggered "a great deal of introspection" in Pakistan. He said "They're going to have to finish that before we get back to a point where we are doing any kind of significant training with them." For now, he said, that meant "a very significant cutback in trainers." However, Mullen said that it would be a mistake for the two countries to abandon the partnership.[ii]

FATA

• According to The News, senior officials of the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps personnel, administration officials and members of peace committees in North Waziristan have pledged to work together to maintain peace in the region. The proclamation came as the administration officials visited tribal elders in various areas of North Waziristan. The officials later held a meeting with tribal elders in Miram Shah and rejected reports about a potential military operation in the region.[iii]
• Nine militants were killed in an attack by Pakistani military helicopters in the Dabori area of Orakzai Agency on Thursday. Militants had attacked a military convoy, injuring four soldiers. Following the incident, the military helicopters targeted militant positions, killing nine insurgents and destroying five hideouts. Meanwhile, a pro-government tribal elder was killed in the Jalek Malika area of Orakzai Agency.[iv]
• A girl was killed when a mortar hit a house in the Babazai area of Mohmand Agency on Thursday. Meanwhile, militants conducted an attack against security forces and members of a peace committee in the Khwezai area. No causalities have been reported. [v]

Syed Saleem Shahzad Killing

• Zohra Yusuf, the head of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency may have played a role in the death of journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad. She said, “We don`t have any conclusive evidence. But the circumstances seem to point to state security agencies because there have been other cases where journalists have been picked up. It`s a very disturbing trend.”[vi]

Tahawwur Rana Trial

• The Associated Press reports on the long-term impact of the testimony of David Headley on U.S.-Pakistani relations. Headley provided testimony during the trial of Tahawwur Rana, the Chicago resident charged with providing material support in connection to the 2008 attacks in Mumbai. While the witness recounted “mundane details,” the testimony of Headley may still fray U.S.-Pakistani ties, as experts say his testimony “may give more fuel to U.S. lawmakers already suspicious that the Pakistani government may have known or helped hide bin Laden.”[vii]
• Syed Saleem Shahzad, the Pakistani journalist killed earlier this week, had recently published a book that details how the 2008 Mumbai attacks were inspired by Ilyas Kashmiri, a senior al Qaeda commander. Shahzad claimed that Kashmiri passed the proposal for the attacks through a retired Pakistani army officer to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). According to Shahzad, “Kashmiri believed a war with India would force the United States to abandon its war in Afghanistan and its drone strikes against on terrorist camps in Pakistan's tribal areas.”[viii]

Karachi

• A representative for the Awami National Party (ANP) has called for a demonstration on Friday against the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC). The strike is planned to show support to 4,000 KESC workers who were laid off by the company. Citizens also rallied against load shedding in the city on Friday, following an assault by unidentified militants on the Clifton grid station, which disabled several electrical feeders.[ix]

Balochistan

• A National Party leader, Nasim Jangian, was shot dead in Turbat on Thursday by unidentified militants. Meanwhile, two bullet-riddled bodies were discovered near the coastal highway in the Lasbela area on Thursday. [x]

Kashmir

• Three suspected LeT militants were killed in the city of Sopore in Indian-administered Kashmir on Friday. A police superintendant said “The encounter broke out last evening when a joint party of police and army confronted the militants and ended with their killing this morning.”[xi]