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India-Pakistan
Assassination attempt on top Pakistani official in North Waziristan
2006-03-10
Pakistani forces shelled suspected militant hideouts near the Afghan border yesterday after a senior government official survived an ambush on his convoy.

The violence in the North Waziristan tribal region has highlighted the challenge President Pervez Musharraf faces from Pakistani militants allied to Al Qaeda as Pakistan wages its part of the war on terrorism.

The governmentÂ’s top official in North Waziristan, Zaheerul Islam, said one of his bodyguards was killed in the late Tuesday ambush as he was travelling from the curfew-bound town of Miranshah to the city of Peshawar.

Islam said four of the attacking gunmen had been killed as his guards fought back. Later, security forces shelled suspected militant hideouts in the area.

“Miscreants’ hideouts were destroyed and this operation will continue,” Islam said by telephone from the town of Mir Ali, also in North Waziristan, where he had stopped after the ambush.

Residents of the area said artillery fire resounded all night and more people were joining the thousands who had already fled.

Waziristan is part of what are known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, which cover about 27,220 square km of mountainous territory and are home to about 6mn people, most of them Pashtuns.

Few of PakistanÂ’s federal laws apply and outside interference is deeply resented.

Islam said security forces had on Tuesday destroyed a madrassa that had been run by a prominent militant cleric.

“It appeared to be a madrassa but terrorists were being sheltered there and a lot of weapons were also found there,” he said. The whereabouts of the cleric were not known.

Meanwhile, a rights group said yesterday PakistanÂ’s army and the militants they are fighting near the Afghan border should both avoid civilian casualties and must not deliberately target civilians.

Human Rights Watch said it had received reports of civilian deaths and the destruction of property in Miranshah, the capital of North Waziristan tribal agency, but these could not be confirmed because the area is closed off.
Posted by:Dan Darling

#1  'Islam said security forces had on Tuesday destroyed a madrassa that had been run by a prominent militant cleric.

“It appeared to be a madrassa but terrorists were being sheltered there and a lot of weapons were also found there,” he said. The whereabouts of the cleric were not known.'

Yup, it was a Madrassah alright.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2006-03-10 09:10  

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