Pakistan Security Brief

Pakistan Security Brief - June 28, 2010

Resettlement process begins for South Waziristan IDPs; two drone strikes hit militant hideouts North Waziristan; TTP militants attack checkpost in Mohmand; militants ambush army patrol in Bajaur; NATO tanker destroyed, two soldiers killed in Khyber; clashes continue as part of military operations in Orakzai; CIA Director Panetta addresses Pakistan reconciliation with the Haqqani network, whereabouts of Osama bin Laden; Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mullen meets with President Zardari, top Pakistani military officials; US hands over three F-16 fighter jets to Pakistani Air Force; Zardari demands drone technology; Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Iftikhar warns of terror attacks in Peshawar; security forces clash with militants, seize weapons cache in Swat; India and Pakistan announce cooperation between civilian intelligence agencies to fight terrorism; blast at Lahore market injures seven; judicial remand extended for Ahmadi mosque attack suspects; three people killed, more injured in latest wave of Karachi violence; defense lawyer appeals terrorism charges for five convicted Americans; Pakistan announces monitoring of seven websites for ‘blasphemous’ content.

FATA

• Pakistan has begun the resettlement process for the more than 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled South Waziristan in the wake of last October’s military operation. Registration centers have been set up in the neighboring districts of Tank and Dera Ismail Khan which were receiving a “good response”, according to Mudassar Riaz Malik, a local administration official, adding that “the actual resettlement process will begin soon after registration is over.” Malik also said that IDPs would be provided with food, cash, and other essential supplies and that security forces would stay in South Waziristan as long as is necessary to maintain the peace.[1]

• As many as six militants were killed in a US drone strike just outside of North Waziristan’s main town of Mirmashah on Sunday. Several missiles struck a suspected militant compound in Tabbi Torkhel village, completely destroying the structure as well as one vehicle parked outside. No high value targets were believed to have been killed in the attack. Between two and five more militants were also killed in a separate drone strike on Saturday which targeted a house outside of Mir Ali. One report indicated that the destroyed building was actually a madrassa being used for Jihadi education and to host meetings of militant commanders.[2]

• A TTP attack on a security checkpost in Mohmand Agency on Saturday has left eight militants dead. One soldier was also reported killed and two more were wounded in the clashes, which took place in Baizai sub-district. Security forces also launched a search operation in the area and arrested 15 militants.[3]

• Heavily armed Taliban fighters in Bajaur Agency ambushed an army patrol in the town of Kharaki, killing four soldiers. Three militants were also reported killed by retaliatory fire from security forces. On Saturday, troops conducted a search operation in Mamund sub-district and seized arms and ammunition –including hand grenades, rocket launchers, and anti-aircraft guns—from several houses in the area. Security forces also defused a bomb which was discovered in the Charmang area of Nawagai sub-district. On Friday, two soldiers of the Bajaur Levies were kidnapped by a group of militants in Mamund sub-district while they were returning home from duty.[4]

• A NATO tanker on its way to Torkham was destroyed by an explosion which occurred in the Landi Kotal area of Khyber Agency. Security forces blocked off the Pak-Afghan route and have launched an investigation into the attack. On Saturday, unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles opened fire on a Frontier Corps and Khassadar convoy in Khyber Agency’s Bara sub-district, wounding two soldiers. Security forces cordoned off the area immediately after the attack and arrested five suspects in connection with the incident.[5]

• Ten militants were killed and two security forces personnel wounded during an exchange of fire as part of continuing military operations in Lower Orakzai on Friday. At least six more militants were reported killed in aerial bombardments on Saturday in addition to another eight militants which were reported killed in bombings on Sunday.[6] (For detailed bi-weekly updates on the security situation in Orakzai CLICK HERE).

CIA Director Speaks

• Responding to reports that Pakistan is making efforts to act as a peace broker between the Afghan government and the Haqqani network, CIA Director Leon Panetta said on Sunday that he did not see “any firm intelligence” that the Haqqanis would be interested in a reconciliation deal. Panetta further added that it would be difficult to achieve meaningful reconciliation with the Haqqanis unless they were to become “convinced the United States is going to win and that they are going to be defeated.” Despite Panetta’s comments, there were unconfirmed reports that Afghan President Hamid Karzai had personally held talks with Sirajuddin Haqqani. Panetta also addressed the location of Osama bin Laden, saying that “it’s been very difficult to get any intelligence on his exact location” and that the US has not had reliable information on his whereabouts since 2000. However, Panetta did say that bin Laden was most likely in deep hiding somewhere in the tribal areas of Pakistan.[7]

US-Pakistan Relations

• US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen met with President Asif Ali Zardari and other top Pakistani officials in Islamabad on Saturday to discuss regional security issues. Mullen praised Pakistani efforts in the fight against extremist groups and reassured Pakistani officials that General Stanley McChrystal’s resignation would not alter US strategy in Afghanistan. Also in attendance at the meeting were Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Air Chief Marshall Rao Qamar Suleman.[8]

• The US handed over three F-16 fighter jets to the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) on Saturday. This is the first batch of jets delivered to Pakistan under a 2005 contract it signed with the US which promises the delivery of 18 F-16 aircraft by the end of the year. Air Chief Marshall Rao Qamar Suleman has said the planes will be used in the fight against militancy in the FATA. Suleman was also visited by US Air Force General Norton A. Schwartz on Saturday to discuss “matters of professional interest.”[9]

• During a meeting with US Air Force General Schwartz today, President Zardari demanded that the US provide Pakistan with drone technology to better aid the military in its ongoing fight against militancy. The request came amid statements by Zardari that bilateral relations between the two countries were heading in a positive direction as he thanked the US for the recent delivery of F-16s.[10]

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Information Minister Mian Iftikhar issued a statement on Sunday that terrorists fleeing military operations in the FATA were gathering in the areas around Peshawar and are planning to carry out a major attack in the city. Iftikhar also said that security forces were prepared to take action against any immediate danger. In response to these threats, Khyber-Pakhtunkwha government officials held a meeting with military leaders today to discuss the security situation in the region.[11]

• Security forces killed five militants and secured a weapons cache during an operation in the Charbagh area of Swat district on Sunday. A militant commander, Fazal Karim, was also reported to be among those killed in the clashes. On Friday, troops killed two more militants on Friday during a pre-dawn raid in the Peochar area of Matta sub-district.[12]

India-Pakistan Relations

• On Saturday, Indian and Pakistani leaders announced that their civilian intelligence agencies would cooperate in the fight against terrorism. Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that the two countries would “work together to clear this menace in the region.” Also included in the agreement was the promise for cooperation on the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. The announcement came during the ministerial meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) conference in Islamabad.[13]

Punjab

• Two low-intensity bomb blasts at a CD market in Lahore left at least seven people wounded on Saturday. The explosions, which took place around 10 minutes apart, caused damage to several nearby shops. Police have said that an investigation into the incident is currently underway.[14]

• Two suspects in the recent attack on an Ahmadi mosque in Lahore have been ordered held on judicial remand by an anti-terrorism court until July 12. However, a police request for an extension of physical remand was denied by the court.[15]

Karachi

• Three people were killed and several others injured in separate shooting incidents across Karachi on Saturday. Citizens angered over the violence throughout the city began taking to the streets and blocking roads with burning tires. Police and Rangers were dispatched to the violence hit areas in an attempt to restore law and order.[16]

Convicted Americans

• The defense attorney for the five American men convicted on terrorism charges last week has filed for an appeal on behalf of his clients, arguing that the court did not take into account the evidence presented by the defense. The court will set a date to hear the appeal later this week.[17]

Blasphemous Websites

• On Friday, a Pakistan Telecommunications Authority official indicated that the government would be begin monitoring seven major websites for blasphemous content and that it had already banned 17 other sites which had been deemed offensive to Muslims. A PTA spokesman elaborated on the monitoring process, saying that “if any particular link with offensive content appears on these websites, the [link] shall be blocked immediately without disturbing the main website.” The sites now being monitored include YouTube, Google, Amazon, Yahoo, and Bing.[18]