[Dawn] Thirteen militants and a security person were killed in fierce gun battle in Shahu Khel area in Hangu district on Sunday.
Sources confirmed that seven security personnel were also injured and were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Security forces reported taking complete control of the Shahu Khel area in Hangu district from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan after a month long battle on Sunday.
Soon after entering the area security forces imposed curfew in the whole locality and sealed all entry points from tribal Orakzai Agency, sources told Dawn.
Security forces and the police had started search-and-clean-up operation to secure the area for establishing permanent check posts to stop the re-entry of militants, reports reaching here said. The gunship helicopters and jets were flying over the area for the protection of the ground troops.
The TTP had vacated the Shahu Khel area after razing to the ground a whole village including schools, health centres and other offices last month. The militants blew up more than 120 homes after the residents were forced to leave Shahu Khel as a result of daily kidnappings and murders of locals by the militants.
Two policemen were also injured as militants opened firing at a police mobile pick up in Doaba area in Hangu district.
Orakzai operation
Security forces destroyed a communication tower, FM radio station and a training camp of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in Kasha and Darha Darh Mamozai areas in Upper Orakzai Agency on Sunday.
The security forces were now marching towards Upper Orakzai Agency to capture important areas which were still under the control of the new amir (chieftain) of TTP, Hakeemullah Mehsud.
Meanwhile, the TTP is reported to have stopped tribesmen in Upper Orakzai Agency from fleeing the area so it could use them as human shields in eventuality of heavy fighting.
However, in the areas which came under heavy attack by security forces women and children were allowed to leave.
Any operation secure the TTP's stronghold in the tribal Orakzai Agency, would take several days, sources said.
The TTP was concentrating its firing squads at their check posts on the Orakzai border to stop the advancing security forces.
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan beheaded a man and his son in Feroze Khel area in Lower Orakzai Agency on charges of spying, officials said. Their dead bodies of Awal Hassan and his son Inayatullah were found in Sam area of the Orakzai Agency.
Posted by Fred 2009-11-23 00:00||
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#1 PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > VARIOUS e.g. DAWN.PK = US IN SECRET TALKS WID SENIOR TALIBAN|ISLAMABAD: US-TALIBAN TALKS HAVE BEEN IN PROGRESS FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS[POSTER > US-Talibs negotiations allegedly also includs PAK, Saudi Arabia, Britain/UK, + major Afghan Taliban Leaders]???
ARTICS > asks IS POTUS OBAMA [Bammer] GETTING READY TO REVERSE IN FULL THE COURSE OF US STRATEGY IN AFPAK INCLUD OPTION FOR US PULLOUT???
* SAME > AFGHAN TALIBAN LINK ASSURANCE OF PEACE TO [complete] US PULLOUT.
#3 Interesting, JosephM. I saw a MEMRI.org translation of a Saudi Arabian article (which I find myself unable to find again -- sorry) about the American ambassador being in discussions with the Taliban to essentially cede them five Afghan provinces in return for them giving up attacks in the rest of the country.
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[Dawn] Thirteen militants and a security person were killed in fierce gun battle in Shahu Khel area in Hangu district on Sunday.