Taliban announces unilateral ceasefire in North Waziristan during Ramazan

October 13th, 2009 PESHAWAR - Before launching a full-scale military operation in South Waziristan, the Pakistan Government has initiated back-channel negotiations with Taliban commanders in North Waziristan in order to isolate insurgents of the Baitullah group. As part of the initiative, a jirga comprising more than 20 tribal elders arrived in Peshawar for talks with civilian and military leadership, The Dawn reports.

September 28th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that Islamabad is yet to decide whether it should launch a full-scale military operation in Waziristan to clear Taliban militants from the tribal areas. He, however, said that Pakistan would take necessary action to flush out the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), "the front face of al Qaeda." "Let's not forget, it's not only the TTP which is operating there.

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.

August 24th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that government forces had foiled a planned terrorist attack on parliament and buildings of the intelligence agency and other federal institutions last month. "Pakistan's parliament building was one target of a planned attack," he said.

August 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A Taliban faction in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region Saturday declared a 40-day unilateral ceasefire because of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Ahmadullah Ahmadi, spokesman for the Taliban group led by Hafiz Gul Bahadar, said: "In respect of the holy month of Ramazan and for the sake of the people, the local Taliban Shura (council) has decided to declare a unilateral ceasefire." The NNI news agency quoted Ahmadi as saying that Taliban commanders in the region have been ordered to stop attacks on the security forces.

August 12th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Taliban in Orakzai Agency has announced a unilateral ceasefire, saying they would not attack security forces in the month of Ramzan. Taliban's Orakzai spokesperson spoke to journalists over the phone and said the decision to halt the offensive was taken by the Taliban leadership.

July 23rd, 2009 RAWALPINDI - The Pakistan Army has killed at least 27 Taliban fighters in various districts of the Malakand division in the last 24 hours. According to an ISPR statement, fighter jets pounded Taliban hideouts in South Waziristan killing six close aides of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud.

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 30th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Taliban has declared an end to the peace deal it signed with the Pakistani government last year due to the ongoing military operation in northwest Pakistan. The Taliban made the announcement Monday after a meeting of the group's local shura (council) in North Waziristan, the website of the Dawn newspaper said.

June 30th, 2009 Pakistan militants abandon peace dealMIR ALI, Pakistan — Taliban militants in a Pakistani tribal area bordering Afghanistan say they're scrapping a peace deal with the government. The decision by insurgents in North Waziristan raises the prospect of wider unrest now that the army is stepping up offensives against the Taliban.

June 21st, 2009 PESHAWAR - As the Pakistan Army intensified its offensive against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud in South Waziristan, some highly placed sources have revealed that the warlord along with his top commander, Maulana Fazalullah, has shifted base to Mirali region of North Waziristan. According to sources, Mehsud and Fazalullah both were hiding in South Waziristan, but sneaked into North Waziristan soon after the government announced an all out operation against them.

April 26th, 2009 COLOMBO - Tamil Tiger rebels fighting government forces in north-east Sri Lanka on Sunday evening declared a unilateral ceasefire, following an "unprecedented humanitarian crisis", a BBC report stated on Sunday. A Tamil Tiger spokesman termed reason behind the move as "unprecedented humanitarian crisis", said the report.

April 19th, 2009 LAHORE - The Taliban has reportedly gunned down a 19 year old Afghan tribal boy following his alleged confession of planting transmitters which guided US drones to carry out strikes against militant hideouts. A video released last week, showed the teenager making his confessional statement about him working as an US spy.