Pakistan Security Brief
New al Qaeda merger in Iraq, Syria ordered by Ayman al Zawahiri in Pakistan; Forces kill fifteen more in Tirah operation; Nine killed in Orakzai battle; Pakistan Army rebuilds infrastructure in South Waziristan to win over population; ANP unlikely to win under TTP threats; Zardari and Ambassador Olson meet to discuss Afghanistan; Iranian Consul General promises to finish pipeline by 2014; Indian envoy expresses support for strong Pakistani democracy; Gunmen kill MQM candidate in Karachi; Policeman dies defending polio workers; Police arrest TTP leader in Karachi; Two police, six others die in targeted attacks in Karachi; Militants bomb hospital in Peshawar.
Pakistani al Qaeda Group Orders Iraq-Syria Merger
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On Tuesday, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, released an audio message to a number of jihadist websites announcing a merger with the Syrian opposition group Jabhat al Nusra, reportedly on the urging of al Qaeda Central’s leader Ayman Al Zawahiri who is based in Pakistan. The new group is called the “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.” A CNN article released Wednesday explains that the merger is especially dangerous because al Nusra is the strongest, best trained, and most populous rebel group in Syria. It explains that their publically announcing association with al Qaeda means they are confident enough in their strength and ability to successfully fight in Syria, subdue the population, and potentially support al Qaeda efforts elsewhere.[1]
Tirah Valley Operation
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On Thursday, security forces killed at least 15 more militants in a battle in the Tirah valley, between Khyber and Orakzai agencies. Thursday’s battle, which resulted in one soldier’s death, was the latest in a week-long operation against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) fighters that took over the valley and are using it to conduct strikes against Peshawar and the surrounding areas.[2]
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On Wednesday, security forces and militants clashed after security forces rained artillery shells on their position in a battle that killed nine militants and injured two soldiers in the Daburai area of Upper Orakzai.[3]
Pakistan Army Rebuilding South Waziristan
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On Wednesday, the Washington Post released an article explaining some of the Pakistan Army’s efforts to support and win over the civilian population in war-torn South Waziristan. The article explains how the army provides agricultural support, builds and paves new roads, and has opened vocational schools in an effort to provide people alternatives to joining the Taliban. The article further discusses the impact of military rules governing the area, such as a ban on carrying weapons and tightly controlled access to the region, which foster reportedly animosity against the army.[4]
Domestic Politics
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On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal released an article that predicted the Awami National Party (ANP) will do poorly in the upcoming general elections because of persistent TTP threats against them. The article cites three primary reasons for the shift in power. First, because the ANP is a secular party openly and anti-Taliban, the TTP is threatening and committing violence against ANP workers, preventing them from effectively campaigning. Second, because the ANP cooperated with the U.S. and was supportive of the War on Terror, the deeply religious and anti-Western demographic in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is more likely to support conservative, Islamic parties like the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). Third, the ANP is reportedly notorious for its corruption, which makes it deeply unpopular with its constituents.[5]
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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On Thursday, U.S. Ambassador Richard Olson met with Pakistani President Asif Zardari in Islamabad, where they discussed the security situation in Afghanistan, as well as general relations between the U.S. and Pakistan.[6]
Indo-Pak Relations
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On Wednesday, the Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan, Sharat Sabharwal, said that India supports a “strong democratic system in Pakistan.” Sabharwal was meeting with Sindh Governor Nisar Ahmed Khuhro at the Governor’s House in Karachi, where they discussed elections and the security, law, and order situation in Pakistan and India.[7]
Iran-Pakistan Pipeline
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In a speech at the University of Peshawar on Wednesday, Iranian Consul General Hassan Darvishvand announced that despite pressure and threats of sanctions from the U.S., the gas pipeline under construction between Iran and Pakistan will be finished and operational by the end of 2014.[8]
Militancy
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On Thursday, unknown gunmen suspected to be members of the TTP opened fire and killed Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Fakhrul Islam outside his home in Hyderabad, Karachi. Islam was a candidate for a Sindh provincial assembly seat in the upcoming general elections.[9]
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On Wednesday, gunmen in the Par Hoti area of Mardan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, opened fire on a polio worker and her security guards, killing one police officer and injuring another. The team was part of a three-day operation attempting to vaccinate over 368,000 children in Mardan, despite TTP threats against polio workers.[10]
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On Wednesday, Karachi police arrested local TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud who is reportedly a “ringleader of the outfit in Sohrab Goth area,” during a raid in Sohrab Goth area, Karachi. Mehsud is not the same person as the TTP’s overall leader, who goes by the same name.
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On Thursday, one man was killed and another injured when attackers opened fire on them in Gulberg area, Karachi. In another incident in Malir area, one man was injured when assailants threw an improvised explosive device at his house on Thursday morning. Separately, in SITE-B area, motorcyclists shot and killed two policemen as they were patrolling. Another man died in a different incident when attackers shot him to death in Yousuf Goth area, and two more people died in yet another attack when they were gunned down in Korangi.[11]
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On Thursday, militants in Matani, Peshawar, detonated a bomb at a hospital, causing no damage or casualties.[12]
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On Wednesday, police recovered two bodies of people who had been kidnapped and killed from Agra road, Shabqadar, Charsadda.[13]
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On Thursday, unknown militants detonated a bomb destroying an election office for an independent NA-41 candidate in Angoor Ada area of South Waziristan.[14]
