Saturday, October 17, 2009

On Ground Updates: Afghanistan/Pakistan - October 17, 2009

On Ground Updates:
Afghanistan/Pakistan.
* Pakistan’s Mother Of All Battles Begins *
-Post One-
Pakistan’s Mother Of All Battles Begins With 30,000 Troops Deployed For An All-Out Assault On Taliban
Post Date: Saturday, October 17, 2009.

Map by CENTCOM
* Telegraph.co.uk brings us the following report this Saturday morning and it goes like this... The tanks, armored columns and helicopter gunships of Pakistan's army stormed into South Waziristan, the global headquarters of al-Qaeda and its Taliban allies... Within hours of leaving their camps early on Saturday morning to fight what is being hailed as the decisive battle in the war against terror, 12 soldiers had been killed in the first ferocious gunfights... Pakistan's generals have called the offensive the "mother of all battles" for the survival of a country under siege...
Read the full report at link below...

.* Guardian.co.uk reports today’s news out of Pakistan like this... More than 30,000 Pakistani soldiers launched a long-expected assault on the Taliban lair of South Waziristan today, following a fortnight of militant attacks that left 175 people dead and underlined the threat to Pakistan's stability... Early clashes were reported to have claimed more than 20 casualties as government soldiers pressed in on the mountain stronghold from three sides, backed by helicopter gunships, warplanes and artillery. A fifth of the local population has fled in recent weeks... The operation is Pakistan's largest ever drive against Islamist extremists. The army says that it has deployed the 30,000 troops against an estimated 10,000 Taliban and al-Qaida fighters. The battle zone is the Mehsud tribal territory, whose impoverished villages have a long history of producing formidable tribal fighters. The Pakistan Taliban in the region are now led by Hakimullah Mehsud, the successor of Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed in an American drone strike last August... A successful operation is vital to Pakistan's stability...
Read this informative, lengthy report in full at link below...

.* DAWN.com reports... Following the decision to launch military action in South Waziristan, intelligence reports suggest that the South Waziristan militants along with the operators of banned militant outfits in Punjab could possibly carry out attacks in different areas of Punjab, Sindh and the Federal Capital...
Read this short report at link below...


.* DAWN.com also has this report up on their website this Saturday afternoon and it goes in part like this... The region is remote and mountainous. It has a leaky border with Afghanistan and fiercely independent tribes who have long resisted government interference. With winter snows just weeks away, the army has limited time to pursue a major ground attack there, and even if it does manage to wipe out its intended targets, it’s unclear whether troops will occupy the area or for how long... The officials Saturday - two with intelligence, three with the government and one senior army official - gave few details but said the troops were pursuing militants holed up in the region, including in major trouble spots such as Ladha and Makeen towns... The army has sent more than 30,000 troops to the region to participate in the combat, said one of the intelligence officials. He said the ground forces were attacking from different directions while helicopter gunships and other aircraft also were bombing various sites... The military already has said it already has sealed off many supply and escape routes...
Read the full report at link below...

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* BBC.co.uk has this lengthy report posted on their website today and it starts off like this... For Pakistan's much-maligned security forces, this offensive in South Waziristan is a chance to prove to the world how committed they are in the battle against militancy... "There are bombs going off everywhere - you must tell the world what is happening," Sher Gul, a terrified resident of Tiarza in South Waziristan told the BBC after arriving in Dera Ismail Khan... "My house was destroyed and many people in my village have been killed."... The fighting in Tiarza is part of the Pakistan army's operation in South Waziristan... It has been called the most significant battle against militancy in the region... It is also the end of a long wait for the rest of the world - and especially the United States. The authorities there waited with bated breath as Pakistan's leadership took its time to make up its mind on the issue... But things probably came to a head with the recent string of deadly attacks which have rocked the country in recent weeks... These seem to have galvanized the leadership and forced the issue...
Read the rest of this GREAT read at link below...
Lots of informative links, info, videos and more at above link...
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Video: Pakistan's Taliban Offensive
- This video removed by me in respect of Google Ad Policies…
About this News Video: Pakistan's military has begun its campaign against the Taliban in South Waziristan, long-promised after a series of deadly attacks by Taliban fighters across the country... About 150,000 people are thought to have fled South Waziristan ahead of the assault, only to find that no preparations have been made for civilians caught up in the conflict... Meanwhile, many analysts say the reasons behind Islamabad's domestic crisis lie north of the border in Afghanistan... Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnson reports on the Pakistani military's newest campaign against the Taliban.
This video posted on YouTube by AlJazeeraEnglish
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FOX NEWS Video Report:
Pakistan Forces Launch Offensive On Al Qaeda
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POST UPDATE: 
8:00am CDT
Sunday, October 18, 2009

In the last 24 hours, the Pakistan Military is reporting that at least 60 terrorists have been killed in the latest round of Operation Rah-e-Nijat [which means ‘Path to Deliverance’... I’ve also seen it translated as meaning ‘Way to Good Riddance’]. Pakistan had five soldiers killed, 11 injured in the same time period. It is also being reported that Taliban fighters were vacating their posts… leaving behind arms and ammunition...
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Daily ISPR Update
Rawalpindi - October 18, 2009:
1. South Waziristan- Operation Rah-e-Nijat.
 In last 24 hours, reportedly , sixty (60) terrorists have been killed in operation Rah-e-Nijat. Casualties of security forces are five (05) soldiers embraced shahadat and eleven (11) are injured. Details are as follows:

(1) On Jandola-Kotkai-Sararogha Axis, area up to Mandana, Kund and Tarakai feature has been secured by security forces. Reportedly thirty terrorists have been killed and many injured. Own casualties are 2 soldiers shaheed and 4 injured.
(2) On Shakai-Kaniguram-Ladha Axis, Operation has progressed 7 Kilometers north of Shakai and features like Boya Narai and Wuzi Sar have been captured. Fighting is going around Sherwangi. Reportedly twenty terrorists have been killed and many injured. Own casualties are 1 soldier shaheed and 3 injured.
(3) Important features and tactical heights around and south of Razmak have been secured by security forces. Reportedly 10 terrorists have been killed. Own casualties are 2 soldiers shaheed and 4 injured including two officers.
(4) Six 12.7mm Anti air craft gun positions of terrorists have been destroyed in different areas and one 12.7 mm gun position has been captured in Wuzi Sar area. Lot of IEDs / mines have been recovered.
(5) Number of vehicles under use of terrorists have been destroyed. Due to security forces advance, terrorists are vacating their posts / area leaving behind arms and ammunition.
(6) Villages / hutments enroute are being cleared by security forces conducting search and clearance operation. Civilians are not being targeted; in some areas people (including women) raised white flags; they were left off after search.
.2. Swat-Malakand (Operation Rah-e-Rast)
a. Security forces conducted search operation at Kaldar Khwar and Mulla Banda Nullah near Fatehpur and Miandam and 4 terrorists were apprehended and 9 caves (12’ length and 8’ width) were also recovered.
b. Security forces conducted search operation at Mian Milli near Matta and recovered one 12.7 mm gun.
c. Security forces conducted search operation at Hamwarai near Khawazakhela and 2 terrorists were apprehended.
d. During search operation security forces discovered 1 cave at Tiligram and recovered few weapons.
Taken from Press Release No 425/2009 – ISPR
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* DAWN.com has it reported this way this Sunday morning... Security forces pounded Taliban bases from the air and bore down on their leader's hometown on Sunday, intensifying a major offensive against the militants which it said had killed 60 militants...
Read the full report at link below...
South Waziristan clashes kill 60 militants
Also on the DAWN website today is this report...
Gen Petraeus coming to Pak for consultation

* BBC.co.uk has the following report this Sunday afternoon... Taliban militants are engaged in street fighting with Pakistani soldiers as the army tries to break the militants' grip on South Waziristan... Both sides claim to have suffered few casualties but residents in the remote area say dozens have died... The army, on the second day of its offensive, is reported to be facing battle-hardened militants, supported by Uzbek fighters linked to al-Qaeda...
Read the full report at link below...
Street fighting in Taliban bases
Above link has News Videos and more...
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.Pakistan Offensive
- This video removed by me in respect of Google Ad Policies…
About this news video: In Pakistan, 30 thousand troops are in the second day of a new offensive against militants on the Afghan border, a stronghold of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Mark Phillips reports...

This video Posted on YouTube by CBSNewsOnline
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I’ll end this post with this... 
We pray for the Pakistan peoples and their military on having a fast -- successful mission... with as few civilian casualties as possible.
Gods Speed... and with luck, just maybe... you can take out ALL the main leaders along with the Head Man... Osama bin Laden.
Now wouldn’t THAT be something!!!?
AubreyJ.........
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