60 more extremists gunned down by Pak Army in NWFP

September 24th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani has said the military is close to winning the war against terrorism. Addressing troops during his visit to South Wazirisitan and Tank, General Kayani said the strategy adopted by the army during its all out operation against the extremists in the region together with the people's support has helped security forces dismantle the terror network.

September 23rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - At least six Taliban fighters were killed and 21 others surrendered to Pakistani security forces during raids and search operations in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in the last 24 hours. According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces nabbed three extremists including one of the top Taliban commanders Muhammad Amin Qari during raids in the Swat Valley.

September 4th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Friday said that the army has broken the back of terrorists and the war will continue until the complete elimination of extremists from the country. When COAS Kayani arrived in Swat's scenic place Kalam, Pakistani soldiers accorded him warm welcome.

August 26th, 2009 PESHAWAR - Monday's incident in which an Afghan journalist, Janullah Hashimzada, was brutally murdered in Jamrud sub-division of Khyber Agency has once again highlighted that the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are the two most unsafe areas for journalists in the region. About 12 journalists have been killed by extremists and many kidnapped since the Taliban established its writ in the region.

July 19th, 2009 PESHAWAR - The Pakistan Army may have been claiming that it has forced the Taliban and other extremists to retreat from the Swat Valley and that it was now safe for the displaced people to return to their homes. However, it is learnt that taking advantage of the slack security, hundreds of insurgents have sneaked into other parts of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) through Dir and Buner.

June 20th, 2009 PESHAWAR - The Pakistan government is preparing an'exit policy' for the army currently stationed in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), and engaged in a gruesome battle against the Taliban and other extremists. Talking to media persons at Governor's House here, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the government has allocated 25 billion rupees to enhance the capability of civil armed forces.

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 11th, 2009 PESHAWAR - The North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Government has admitted that there were security lapses which led to the Pearl Continental Hotel blast. The NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said there were 'security lapses' leading up to the blast which took place on Tuesday evening.

May 31st, 2009 PESHAWAR - In yet another gaffe committed by the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) government, the list of the 21 most wanted militant commanders released by it recently also included the name of a person who is already languishing in jail. According to The News, the list of NWFP government's most wanted extremists also included the name of one Taliban commander Liaqat.

May 12th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan security forces on Tuesday claimed to have killed at least 28 more Taliban operatives, at a key militant stronghold in the Swat Valley of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). According to The News, the army opened up a new front in the suspected stronghold of Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah and his top lieutenants in the northern mountains of the region.

May 12th, 2009 NEW YORK - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari may have 'impressed' the United States by announcing an all out war against the Taliban and other extremists in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), but he does not seem to have much support back home, as only 19 percent of Pakistanis approve of his move. According to an opinion poll released by the Washington based International Republican Institute, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has emerged stronger than Zardari, in the current volatile situation, as 75 percent of Pakistanis support him.

May 10th, 2009 TORONTO - The Pakistan army had vowed to quell the insurgency completely. Questions are being raised about whether the Pakistan Army is up to the task of defeating the Taliban in the Swat Valley, after it announced all out war against insurgents.

May 7th, 2009 BERLIN - The military offensive against the Taliban in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan would continue for two to three weeks more, as Islamabad has said that it needed more time to flush out the extremists completely from the region. Addressing a joint press conference with his German counterpart Franz Josef Jung, Pakistan Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said Islamabad wants to root out the extremists from its soil completely.

May 6th, 2009 PESHAWAR - Criticizing the Taliban for not abiding by the terms and conditions of the Swat peace deal, the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain has said the Taliban's only agenda is to spread terror and they have nothing to do with Islam or Sharia. Addressing delegates in a ceremony at the Peshawar Law College, Hussain rejected reports about military offensive being carried out in the Swat Valley to flush out extremists saying the security forces are only reacting against the militants.

April 29th, 2009 PESHAWAR - The Taliban has taken hostage at least 71 security personnel in the Pir Baba area of Buner district in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). According to The News, the station house officer (SHO) of the Pir Baba police station along with his cops and 50 Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel have been held captive by the armed gunmen.