UP Ibalon Bicol: Swat Valley

Showing posts with label Swat Valley. Show all posts

Suicide bomber kills 16 military recruits in Swat Valley

8/31/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

A suicide bomber who trespassed a training compound for military recruits blew himself, killing 16 would-be police officers in Swat region of Pakistan. The bloody attack which wounded an undetermined number of trainees came three days after 27 security men died in another attack in the country’s Khyber region.

The violence in unstable Mingora, Swat’s major village may be an attempt of Taliban militants to reclaim the area they control after their stronghold of three years was disrupted by military forces early in May 2009.

It was estimated 1,800 Islamic rebels and suicide bombers died during the offensive. A million civilians escaped the area, but returned when some measure of stability was achieved by the anti-Taliban forces.

Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani condemned the attack, vowing to continue the fight against the Taliban insurgents who caused the senseless deaths of about 3,000 people in the last two years. (Photo Credit: Nizam Khan) =0=

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Labels: explosion, Islamic militants, killings, militant, military, Pakistan, suicide, suicide bombing, Swat Valley, Taliban, Totie Mesia

Militants bombed luxury hotel in Peshawar, Pakistan

6/10/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

The bombing that killed about 50 people last year in Marriott Hotel in Islamabad was reminiscent of the recent carnage in Pearl Continental Hotel a plush and popular hotel, the hang-out of foreigners and well-to-do Pakistanis.

Using a truck carrying deadly explosives, the suicide bombers brought down portion of the luxury hotel into rubble and caused a huge crater on the parking lot. The destruction claimed the lives of at least 11 people, injuring about 70 others, at least 9 individuals in critical condition. Several foreigners were among the dead and wounded.

“The violence was the latest in a string of powerful bomb attacks and ambushes in Pakistan's major cities while the country continues to wage an offensive against Taliban militants in the Swat Valley and surrounding regions. Pakistani authorities have characterized the attacks as retaliation by the Taliban for major gains made by Pakistani troops against militants since the military operation began in late April.” The Chicago Tribune/ LA Times (06/09/09 Zulfiqar Ali, Alex Rodriguez)

“U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the "heinous terrorist attack" in "the strongest possible terms," U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said at U.N. headquarters in New York.”-----The Huffington Post / AP (06/09/09 Khan, Riaz)

The gunmen with their explosives barged into security at about 10 PM on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 as nightlife started in Peshawar, Pakistan’s largest Northeast city with a population of 2.2 million. The chaos that followed brought extensive loss of property, injuries, and senseless deaths.

The attack by terrorists was linked to the threats made public by the Al Qaeda-linked Taliban fighters who sought revenge against the bloody campaign they face against Pakistani security forces in Swat valley, a location close to the cities of Peshawar and Islamabad.

For the past weeks, about 15,000 Pakistani troops battled 7,000 Taliban Islamic militants prompting thousands of civilians to flee as the number of the dead mounted. A militia composed of civilians had been formed to kick out the Talibans in the area. (Photo credits: AFP Graphics; Reuters/ Ali Imam) =0=

Perseveranda So, a Filipina among the casualties in the Peshawar bombing

The 52-year-old Filipina Unicef worker devoted to education was unlucky to have been killed during the explosion that damaged the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Before her death, So, a dedicated Unicef Chief of Education helped in large measure the schooling of Filipinos through a program called Child Friendly School System. Her demise was announced by authorities of Unicef where she worked since 1994. =0=

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Labels: Al Qaeda, Islamabad, Islamic militants, killings, militant, military, mortality, Pakistan, Pearl Continental Hotel, Peshawar, suicide bombing, Swat Valley, Taliban, terrorism, Totie Mesia

More Taliban fighting in nuclear-armed Pakistan

5/07/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

There is cause to worry when about a million Pakistanis abandon their villages as Taliban extremists occupy their homes and put landmines in buildings. It is feared that if Pakistan's nuclear arsenal get into the hands of the Taliban radicals, the risk of a nuclear catastrophe becomes increasingly real. Aside from the Islamic insurgency, Pakistan faces border threats from neighboring India.

“Pakistani security forces killed 35 militants on Wednesday in fighting in a mountain valley 100km (60 miles) northwest of the capital, a paramilitary force said.”----Telegraph.co uk. (05/06/09, Wilkinson, I)

Clashes between the Taliban and Pakistani forces come as a consequence of the failure of a 3-month truce forged by the two opposing sides. The curtailment of the Taliban has been the focus of the US government which lends support to Pakistan's faltering campaign versus violence and extremism.

“The tribal areas of the Northern West Frontier Regional Province (NWFP) that border Afghanistan are steadily falling to a creeping Taliban-led militancy. Military operations have proved ineffective and the militants have rejected offers of any ceasefire while government offices, the Chief Minister's house and military camps are now under attack in the area as well.”----http://wwww.adnkronos.com

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan president Hamid Karzai met with Barack Obama today to talk about the campaign against the Taliban. The Islamic militanta swept the Swat Valley and Buner areas about 60 miles from the Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad. As a consequence, 500,000 civilians had been caught in the crossfire, forcing them to leave villages and homes destroyed by a rebellion that wants to impose Islamic law.

“Acknowledging that 'the road ahead will be difficult,' Obama said he has made a 'lasting commitment' to not only defeat extremism in both countries but to salvage their shaky democracies.”----AP (05/06/07, Hurst, S)

Faced with a weak Zadari government and corruption in Afghanistan, the United States is left to work with its allies to counter the growing influence of the Taliban. Most of the military offensives done against the Taliban in recent years are inconclusive, needing more sustained effort and financial aid. America is saddled with this long and expensive war whose end remains unclear.(Photo Credit: Tanweeer x 2) =0=

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Labels: Afghanistan, insurgency, Islamabad, Islamic militants, nuclear hazard, Pakistan, Swat Valley, Taliban, Totie Mesia, war

UP Ibalon Bicol

Suicide bomber kills 16 military recruits in Swat Valley

Militants bombed luxury hotel in Peshawar, Pakistan

More Taliban fighting in nuclear-armed Pakistan

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