Mali army raids Al Qaeda base, dozen militants killed

October 2nd, 2009 PESHAWAR - Pakistan's military is set to launch a ground operation in the Taliban's main stronghold in Pakistan's tribal areas, South Waziristan. For three months, the Pakistan Army has been charting out plans, holding indepth deliberations and studying past operations that failed miserably, the New York Times reports.

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 14th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - At least 20 Taliban militants were killed in a suspected US drone strike and attacks carried out by Pakistani troops in the country's restive northwestern region Monday, officials said. A missile allegedly fired by an unmanned US aircraft targeted a vehicle believed to be carrying Taliban fighters in the North Waziristan tribal district near the Afghan border.

August 31st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Fifteen militants were killed in fighting with the security forces in northwest Pakistan, officials said Monday. The security forces also captured 22 militants during search operations in the Swat and Malakand districts in the past 24 hours till Monday evening, the Online news agency reported citing a statement of the Pakistan Army.

August 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - : Expressing concern over Al-Qaeda's expanding activities in the region, US President Barack Obama has said the outlawed outfit and its allies have moved their bases to Pakistan's remote tribal areas. Obama said Washington's decision to revamp its AFPAK strategy was based on credible information that the Al-Qaeda has shifted its base to Pakistan's lawless tribal region.

August 16th, 2009 DAKAR - Mauritania will send 4,000 troops to the Sahara region to combat Al Qaeda linked terrorists who have intensified their activities there, according to media reports reaching here from Mauritanian capital Nouakchott Sunday. The decision announced by Mauritania's defence ministry Saturday was made in line with the outcome of the Wednesday meeting of defence chiefs of Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

August 15th, 2009 JAMMU - Four terrorists have been killed in a gun battle with the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir, a defence official said Saturday. The army raided the militants' hideout in the forested area of Mahore, 175 km from here, Thursday.

August 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani security forces pounded militant hideouts in the restive tribal region bordering Afghanistan Thursday, killing at least 10 militants, officials said. Army helicopter gunships from struck several positions held by Islamist militants in the Kurram and Orakzai districts, which are relatively peaceful compared to the remaining five tribal areas.

July 27th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Taking its offensive forward on Monday, the Pakistan Army killed eleven militants killed and arrested 28, including wanted militant commander Kabir in the Swat and Malakand divisions. According to an Inter-Services Public Relations media release, two militants handed over themselves to security forces in Fizagat near Mingora.

July 10th, 2009 KABUL - Two British troops and at least two militants were killed in fighting in Afghanistan, the British and US militaries said Friday. The British soldiers died Thursday in Helmand province, taking to 178 the total number of British military fatalities in Afghanistan, the ministry of defence said in London.

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 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - At least 31 militants have been killed in latest operations carried out by the Pakistani security forces in northwest Pakistan, officials said Monday. The army said in a statement that in the 24 hours to Monday evening at least 31 militants have been killed and 50 others wounded in operations carried out in different parts of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and in South Waziristan tribal agency.

June 3rd, 2009 LONDON - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday that Al Qaeda might have killed a British hostage in Mali in western Africa. "We have strong reason to believe that a British citizen Edwin Dyer has been murdered by an Al Qaeda cell in Mali," Brown said in a statement Wednesday.

May 21st, 2009 LAHORE - Seven highly trained Iraqi Al-Qaeda masterminds have entered Pakistan, the country's intelligence agencies have revealed here. According to sources, the government has directed law-enforcement agencies to take immediate action against the militants to nab them.

May 1st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Taliban and al-Qaeda have shifted their base from Afghanistan to the mountainous tribal region of Pakistan and have successfully turned the region into their safe havens post 9/11, a top US official has said. Talking to reporters at the State Department, the acting US Coordinator of Counter-terrorism, Ronald Schlicher, said the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan are proving a perfect base for Al-Qaeda.