Pakistan Security Brief
Pakistan Security Brief –April 2, 2010
Military operations continue in Orakzai; two Taliban factions clash in Orakzai; security forces kill six militants in Khyber; the Mehsud tribe to return to South Waziristan; Pakistan’s attorney general resigned; police arrest two TTP militants in Karachi; US Assistant Secretary Robert Blake discusses Pak-Iran gas pipeline; gunmen kill two in Quetta.
FATA
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Security forces backed by helicopter gunships attacked several targets in Orakzai on Friday, killing six militants and injuring five more. Three militant hideouts were reportedly destroyed during the operations.[1] (For detailed daily updates on Pakistani military operations in Orakzai, CLICK HERE).
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Rival Taliban factions, one led by Mulla Toofan and the other by Maulana Rafiq, engaged in fighting in the Chappar Mishti area of Orakzai Agency. Six militants were killed in the clashes, including militant commander Anwarul Haq.[2]
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Security forces killed six members of Lashkar-e-Islam following operations on Thursday throughout Bara district, in Khyber. Security forces initially captured the militants but later shot them when the men tried to escape.[3]
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The Mehsud tribes agreed on Thursday to return to their homes in South Waziristan. The tribes reached an agreement in Tank with a political representative from South Waziristan. The tribesmen claim they will protect the area from Taliban militants after returning this spring.[4]
National government
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Pakistan’s attorney general, Anwar Mansoor, resigned from his post on Friday, citing tensions with the government. Mansoor accused the government of preventing him from reopening the case against President Asif Ali Zardari, as the Supreme Court ordered.[5]
Karachi
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Police in Karachi arrested two Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants on Thursday. The men, identified as Sardar Shah and Tahir, were involved in an attack that killed 25 soldiers stationed at a Swat checkpoint in 2009.[6]
Pak-Iran gas pipeline
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US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake expressed disapproval on Thursday for the proposed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline. Secretary Blake said the US is opposed to large investment projects with Iran due to Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. He suggested Pakistan seek other alternatives for the country’s growing energy needs.[7]
Balochistan
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Two gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on a barbershop in Ghousabad area of Quetta on Friday, killing two people and injuring two others. The identities of the gunmen remain unknown.[8]
