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Pakistan army frees 30 at army HQ, ending siege
This is an A-Pee article. Click the link for the whole thing.Pakistani commandos raided their own army's headquarters Sunday to free 30 people held hostage by Islamist fighters who staged a brazen attack on the compound while wearing military uniforms. Three captives and four hostage-takers were among those killed in the 22-hour-long drama that ended with the capture of the attackers' ringleader, an army spokesman said. One way or another, he was captured dead. The audacious assault on the nerve-center of the country's military establishment showed the strength of militants allied with al-Qaida and the Taliban ahead of a planned army offensive on their heartland in South Waziristan along the Afghan border. It also signaled that any push there would be met with more attacks across Pakistan. Don't laugh. I'm sure the same thing could happen to the Pentagon. The government said the siege had steeled its resolve to go through with the South Waziristan offensive, calling it "inevitable." The United States and Pakistan's other Western allies want the country to take more action against insurgents also blamed for soaring attacks on U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. Now can we get unfettered use of drones? Posted by: gorb 2009-10-11 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=280788 |