33 Taliban fighters killed in South Waziristan, Malakand: Pak Army

October 2nd, 2009 PESHAWAR - Pakistani security officials have claimed that Uzbek Al Qaeda leader Tahir Yuldashev was killed by a US missile in August in Pakistan's South Waziristan region. Yuldashev, leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, had been operating from South Waziristan for some years.

September 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - At least 34 suspected militants have died in clashes in Pakistan's South and North Waziristan while the Taliban claim to have killed 45 security personnel, media reports said Tuesday. Gunship helicopters pounded militant hideouts in South Waziristan, killing at least 26 suspected militants while injuring several others, Dawn reported Tuesday.

September 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has reportedly killed 45 security personnel in Waziristan, while 34 extremists have been killed across the region in the last 24 hours. According to a television report, helicopter gunships pounded military hideouts in South Waziristan killing at least 26 Taliban fighters besides injuring many others.

September 3rd, 2009 RAWALPINDI - The lessons learnt from the military's anti-Taliban operations in the country's restive northwest were reviewed by the Pakistani Army at the Corps Commanders conference that began here Thursday. Quoting military sources, Online news agency reported that during the course of the conference, the constructive and positive strategies of Pakistan Army in Operation Rah-e-Rast in the Malakand division of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) were discussed.

August 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani Army has said that it would require months to prepare for a ground offensive against the Taliban in their South Waziristan stronghold on the Afghan border. Lieutenant-General Nadeem Ahmed, Commander of the 1 Strike Corps in Mangla in Pakistan Kashmir, said this while reacting to comments made by visiting US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke.

July 3rd, 2009 LAHORE - The Pakistan Army may have been planning an all out assault against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud in his stronghold of South Waziristan, but experts believe that the operation could result in further disappointment for the United States. South Asia specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations, Daniel Markey, warned that Pakistan "may be biting off too much" by initiating an offensive against the Taliban chieftain in his stronghold without establishing total command in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

July 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - The Pakistan Army is planning an offensive against the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud in his stronghold South Waziristan, but it seems that it is unaware of the massive threat that the region has in store. The military will have to face a formidable army of extremists if Mehsud join hands with the militant commanders of North Waziristan, The Christian Science Monitor reported an analysis in the Long War Journal, as saying.

June 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - At least 34 Taliban militants were killed and seven others captured in an operation carried out by the Pakistani Army in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), the army said in a statement Thursday. The army said five soldiers were also injured in the operation in Malakand Division of the NWFP in the past 24 hours to Thursday evening.

June 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Army has reportedly claimed back some of the major strongholds of the Taliban, as it continued to pound the hideouts of the insurgents in Swat and Malakand. Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's Advisor on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik said that the security forces have destroyed the Taliban's camps in several areas.

June 16th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Government's decision to launch an operation in Waziristan to catch Baitullah Mehsud could provide the Taliban the fillip to regroup in Malakand, warned former interior minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao. "Complete success in Malakand would demoralised Taliban ahead of fresh operation in Waziristan.

June 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani warplanes bombed a stronghold of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud in the South Waziristan tribal region Saturday morning, media reports said. Four fighter jets bombed parts of Makeen and other areas in South Waziristan, destroying several militant hideouts, considered as the stronghold of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Baitullah Mehsud, Dawn reported, citing witness and intelligence reports.

June 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Army has reportedly killed 60 more Taliban insurgents in the past 24 hours, during its whirlwind offensive in Malakand and other different regions of the Swat Valley. "39 terrorists were killed in various areas of Malakand.

June 11th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani security forces have killed 66 Taliban fighters in the country's restive northwest, the military said Thursday as its offensive against the militants entered its 47th day. During last 24 hours (to Thursday afternoon), 66 terrorists were killed and 9 were apprehended, while one civilian was killed and two were injured in various areas of Malakand, Bunnu and South Waziristan, an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said.

June 7th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan's political and defence analyst Ejaz Haider has predicted that the Pakistan Army would soon launch a military operation in Waziristan, the "centre of gravity" for the Taliban. The Daily Times quoted Haider as saying that the military operation is inevitable, as it is essential to neutralize the Taliban's power in the tribal agencies of North and South Waziristan.

May 14th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Taliban has given members of parliament representing Pakistan's Malakand Division three days to resign, or else their families will be kidnapped. "All national and provincial parliament members from the Malakand Division must resign within three days, otherwise, we will arrest all their families, and we will destroy all their buildings," Taliban spokesperson Muslim Khan told CNN In a separate directive, Muslim Khan urged Pakistan's Islamist political parties to publicly show support for Taliban militants.