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Operation Orakzai: Conjuring ‘Victories’

Tushar Ranjan Mohanty
Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management

The Pakistan Army has become adept at manufacturing ‘victories’ against ‘terrorism’ in theatre after theatre in the country, though each year has seen increasing terrorism-related fatalities in the country. In this bold history of triumph, on June 1, 2010, the Army had declared another victory over ‘terrorism’ in its Operation Khwakh Ba De Sham (I Will See You) in the Orakzai Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), adding that military operations in the area had been ‘completed’ and civilians could expect to return home soon. Describing a visit to Orakzai and the neighbouring Kurram tribal regions by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, a short Press Release recorded: "Kayani’s visit to Orakzai Agency marks the successful conclusion of operations in the Agency. He appreciated the professional conduct of the operation which has cleared the Agency of terrorists." The statement also noted that civilians who fled Orakzai could expect to return home soon. More than 200,000 people are believed to have poured out of the area since the end of 2009, out of a total population of about 450,000 in the Agency.

Following the brutal Operation Rah-i-Nijat (Path to Salvation, June 19-December 12, 2009) in South Waziristan, a number of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants had escaped into Orakzai. This eventually led to a ground-cum-air offensive against pockets of militancy in parts of this Agency, commencing March 24, 2010, in what was originally planned as a two-week end-stage operation. The Army evidently miscalculated the militants’ strength, and the Operation has dragged on beyond four months, with higher-than-expected casualties. Official sources disclosed, on June 2, that the total number of people killed in Orakzai, just since May 1, in operations against the TTP was estimated at 719. No reliable index of fatalities has been available for any of the successive military campaigns in the FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP, formerly, North West Frontier Province), though displacement figures suggest largely indiscriminate air and artillery operations. During the Swat campaign, an estimated 2.5 to 3.5 million civilians were forced out of the Province in a campaign that eventually claimed to have killed just 1,800 ‘terrorists’.

However, rebuffing Army claims, various local and official sources claimed, on June 2, that more than half the Orakzai Agency was yet to be cleared of the TTP. According to reports citing local sources, "The military has cleared only Lower Orakzai, while the situation in upper and central Orakzai has not changed much, as the Army is yet to evict the TTP from these areas. The battle is far from over." In the adjacent Hangu district, residents and officials were reported as claiming that, "In Upper Orakzai, Security Forces (SFs) took control of Dabori, while Mamozai, Ghaljo and Shahoo areas are still in Taliban control." Local sources also alleged that Uzbek and other terrorists belonging to the "Lal Masjid group" and the TTP from Swat, Bajaur and Waziristan were putting up "stiff resistance" in Upper Orakzai.

Data on fatalities bears out these claims of a confrontation that is far from over. In the 70 days between the commencement of the Operation on March 24 and its "successful termination" on June 1, South Asia Terrorism Portal database recorded a total of 1,705 fatalities including 1,669 militants and 36 SF personnel. In 51 days, between June 2, and July 21, after the Operations had ‘ended’, 522 persons, including 505 militants and 17 SFs have been killed. There is no separate account of civilians killed. Apparently, everyone killed by the SFs is a ‘militant’. The ratio of fatalities between the ‘militants’ and the SFs also indicates that virtually the entire campaign has relied on long range artillery and air attacks, with ground engagements between troops and TTP cadre the exception.

Significantly, data on fatalities is principally based on statements released by Inter Services Public Relations, the Forces’ own mouthpiece, unambiguously confirming the fact that the Army is still struggling to keep hold of the area, as more and more militants emerge to carry the battle forward. Some of the major incidents (each involving three or more fatalities) contradicting the Army’s June 1 declaration include:

July 21: SFs killed 40 militants and injured 30 others in a clash in Upper Orakzai Agency. Three SF personnel were also killed in the clash, while six SF personnel were injured.

July 19: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) planes and helicopter gunships pounded suspected militant hideouts in the Orakzai and Central Kurram Agency, killing 42 militants and injuring 27.

July 18: At least 25 militants were killed and 23 were injured when PAF fighter jets and helicopter gunships bombed various parts of Upper Orakzai Agency.

July 14: 24 TTP militants were killed and 34 were injured when PAF fighter jets pounded militant hideouts in Kasha, Srigaray, Khorhi, Mamoonzai and Shakartangi areas of Orakzai Agency.

July 13: At least 100 TTP militants were killed and one soldier was injured in a clash with SFs in Dabori area of Orakzai Agency in FATA.

July 11: At least 22 TTP militants were killed and 10 were injured when PAF fighter jets and helicopter gunships bombed various areas of Upper Orakzai Agency.

June 27: At least 66 TTP militants were killed and another 30 were injured in air strikes and clashes with the SFs in Orakzai Agency.

June 22: 43 TTP militants were killed in clashes with SFs in the Orakzai Agency.

June 21: militants attacked a Frontier Corps vehicle with three rockets in the Andkhel area of the Agency, killing three Soldiers and injuring another five.

June 8: Six soldiers were killed and eight were injured when TTP militants stormed a checkpoint in Orakzai Agency. A retaliatory strike by the Army left 35 TTP militants dead and another 17 injured.

June 6: The SFs killed 44 TTP militants and injured another 11 in various areas of Upper Orakzai.

June 5: 25 TTP militants were killed and another 22 were injured when SFs, backed by helicopter gunships, pounded militants hideouts in Orakzai Agency.

June 2: At least 33 TTP militants were killed during clashes with SFs in different parts of Orakzai Agency.

Evidently, the militants still posses the wherewithal to take the SFs on.

Although the area of operation in Orakzai is smaller compared to the 2009 Operation Rah-e-Rast (Path to Truth) in Swat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Operation Rah-i-Nijat in South Waziristan (FATA), the fighting has been bloodier and more intense. 1,200 militants and 90 SFs were killed in Operation Rah-e-Rast; and 589 militants and 79 SFs were killed in Operation Rah-e-Nijat. The military has established a cordon around many of Orakzai’s entry and exit points and the militants, finding their escape cut off, are, in many cases, choosing to fight back with significant assaults on military positions. The military has been retaliating by bombarding purported TTP locations relentlessly, reportedly inflicting heavy casualties on the militants. The Army claims that many of the dead are foreign fighters, including Arabs and Uzbeks.

When Pakistan, on May 31, announced it had defeated militants in Dabori, one of their major extremist bases, some 60 kilometres from Orakzai's main town of Kalaya, it was a far cry from the reality of the volatile Orakzai region. Even at that time, Pakistani military analysts declared that the announcement was based on "miscalculations", as officers thought militants would flee the region after many of their bases were captured. There was a widespread assessment that the announcement itself was no more than an attempt to boost the morale of a public suffering from years of attacks, nearly constant military campaigns and few demonstrable results. Retired General Talat Masood, a military and security analyst, thus noted, "The announcement looks good to the Pakistani public. The public thinks it's an endless thing, especially in Orakzai. So they probably wanted to give the people some relief." Corroborating this assessment, Rahimullah Yusufzai, senior editor and Peshawar Bureau chief of The News observed, "The military operation is not yet over in Orakzai. I think they (the Army) made the announcement of victory in haste."

Meanwhile, despite the Army’s claims, the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have not been willing to return to the Agency, fearing continued danger. A large number of IDPs remain sheltered at the Mohammad Khwaja Relief Camp in Orakzai in precarious conditions, without basic human amenities, while others have dispersed wherever they have been able to secure shelter. The devastation is greater for those who dare to return to their homes, as the whole tribal area presents the spectacle of a war zone, with houses blown up, villages decimated and infrastructure destroyed. Many returning IDPs could not determine where their villages had once stood, to say nothing of their homes. Not surprisingly, most have had to make return journeys to their camps and refuges.

Despite the Army’s boastful claims, the conflict in Orakzai is far from over. The militants may have been pushed out of their urban and peri-urban strongholds into the more remote valleys, but these ‘successes’ may prove fleeting. The rebels have, in the past, repeatedly demonstrated their capacity to regroup and regain lost ground, or simply to shift their fight elsewhere.

[South Asia Intelligent Review]

News Briefs

People less concerned about Taliban and al Qaida as compared to Indian threat and US enmity, indicates report: A majority of Pakistanis still consider India as a major threat, view America as an enemy and are far less concerned about Taliban and al Qaida, a Pew Research Centre opinion poll reported on July 30. "When asked which is the greatest threat to their country – India, the Taliban or al-Qaida – slightly more than half of Pakistanis (53 per cent) choose India, compared with 23 per cent for Taliban and just 3 per cent for al-Qaida," it said. However, most Pakistanis want better ties with India. Times of india, July 31, 2010.

No plan to send combat troops to Pakistan, says US: The United States (US), on July 30, brushed aside an Afghanistan demand to strike at Afghani Taliban safe havens across the border, saying it has no plan to send combat troops to Pakistan. "We have no plans to send US combat forces to Pakistan," State Department Spokesman Philip Crowley said. Daily Times, July 31, 2010.

Destroy militant hideouts in Pakistan, urges Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai: Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, on July 29, urged his Western allies to destroy Islamist militant sanctuaries in neighbouring Pakistan after thousands of secret US files were leaked. "The time has come for our international allies to know that the war against terrorism is not in Afghanistan’s homes and villages," Karzai said, adding, "But rather this war is in the sanctuaries, funding centres and training places of terrorism which are outside Afghanistan. Whether we are able to destroy these sanctuaries or not is another question. Our international allies have this ability, but the question is why they are not doing it." The News, July 30, 2010.

Sanctuaries of militants in urban areas to be eliminated: Corps Commander Peshawar, Lt. Gen. Asif Yasin Malik, on July 28 said that after suffering defeat in Swat and South Waziristan, the militants have now started arriving in major cities to terrorise the people, but the Security Forces (SFs) would soon eliminate their new sanctuaries in urban areas. The News, July 29, 2010.

US lawmakers reject motion for pulling US troops out of Pakistan: US lawmakers on July 27 challenged the President Barack Obama’s war strategy, defeating a resolution calling for the removal of US forces from Pakistan by a crushing 38-372 margin. Daily Times, July 29, 2010.

Pakistan secretly helping Afghan Taliban, US leaked intelligence report indicates: Pakistan was actively collaborating with the Taliban in Afghanistan, while accepting US aid, leaked US military reports showed on July 22. Under the heading "Afghan War Diary", the revelations were released by online organisation WikiLeaks. The leaked reports, covering a period from January 2004 to December 2009, suggest that current and former officials from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have met directly with the Taliban in secret strategy sessions to organise terrorist networks fighting US soldiers. Daily Times, July 27, 2010.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik confirms New York bomb suspect met TTP chief: Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik on July 26 said that the Pakistani-American, Faisal Shehzad, who pleaded guilty to a New York bomb plot, met the country’s Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ‘chief’ Hakeemullah Mehsud, just days after footage emerged of them hugging. "He visited Pakistan seven times and he met Hakeemullah Mehsud and also met other people, those so-called leaders of the TTP," Malik added.. Daily Times, July 27, 2010.

3,000 terrorists for India battle, claims TTP: Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claims it has organised 3,000 terrorists for its declared battle against India. The TTP spokesperson Tahir Ali declared in Islamabad on July 26 that it is providing training to terrorists to launch an attack on India. Another TTP spokesperson Azam Tariq in a telephone interview said that the TTP has vowed to capture "Hindustan". Rediff, July 27, 2010.

75 militants and 12 civilians among 94 persons killed during the week in FATA: At least 15 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants were killed and 10 were injured when the Security Forces (SFs) backed by fighter jets pounded militant hideouts in Orakzai Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on August 1.

At least 10 persons were killed and their houses set ablaze in sectarian violence in Kurram Agency on July 29.

12 militants were killed and 11 were injured in a clash with SFs in the Kurram Agency on July 29.

Three SF personnel were killed and 10 were injured when militants attacked a convoy in the Pash Ziarat area of South Waziristan Agency on July 28.

24 dead bodies, believed to be those of militants, were recovered in Akakhel area of Khyber Agency on July 26.

14 TTP militants, including a ‘commander’, were killed when jet fighters bombed two vehicles in Dogar area in Upper tehsil (revenue unit) of Orakzai Agency. Dawn; Daily Times; The News, July 19-26, 2010.

206 militants and five civilians among 215 persons killed during the week in FATA: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter jets bombed various parts of Upper Orakzai Agency on July 25, killing 24 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and injuring 18 others. In addition, 24 persons, majority of them local tribal militants, were killed and some others were injured in three different missile attacks by the US drones in South Waziristan and North Waziristan Agencies.

At least 16 militants were killed while scores others injured in US drone strikes in Angora Adda locality of South Waziristan Agency in the morning of July 24.

At least 29 TTP militants, including two ‘commanders’, were killed and several others injured during a military operation in Orakzai Agency on July 23.

The chief of the pro-Government peace committee, Malik Sardar Ali, along with two colleagues, Karim Khan and Gul Muhammad Khan, were killed in an explosion caused by an IED in the Sapary area of Mamond tehsil (revenue unit) in Bajaur Agency on July 23.

At least 29 militants were killed and 17 others injured in two separate clashes and during shelling by gunship helicopters as troops took control of the Ghiljo tehsil in Orakzai Agency on July 22.

SFs killed 40 militants and injured 30 others in a clash in Upper Orakzai Agency on July 21. Three troopers were also killed in the clash, while six officials were injured.

Military planes and helicopter gunships pounded suspected hideouts of the militants in the Orakzai and Central Kurram Agencies on July 19, killing 42 militants and injuring several others. Dawn; Daily Times; The News, July 19-26, 2010.

LeT becoming global threat, says US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen: The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen said on July 24 that the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) had become "a very dangerous organisation and a significant regional and global threat". He said LeT was expanding into Afghanistan and other countries beyond the region. He claimed that the tribal belt on Pakistan’s western border had become the "global headquarters" for al Qaeda. Daily Times, July 25, 2010.

U.S. sanctions target Haqqani network: Three key leaders and financiers for the Haqqani network and the Afghan Taliban have been "designated," or targeted through sanctions, for supporting acts of terrorism linked to the militant outfits based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the United States Department of the Treasury announced on July 23. The designation was made pursuant to Executive Order 13224, according to which the Treasury was authorised to target Gul Agha Ishakzai, the head of the Afghan Taliban's financial commission; Amir Abdullah, former treasurer to senior Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Baradar; and Nasiruddin Haqqani, an emissary for the Haqqani Network. The Treasury noted that the Haqqani network was a Afghan Taliban-affiliated group of militants operating out of North Waziristan Agency and "and has been spearheading insurgent activity in Afghanistan." The Hindu, July 24, 2010.

Significant rise in US drone attacks in Pakistan since January 20, 2009, indicates report: According to a research carried out by the BBC Urdu service, nearly 2,500 people have been killed as a result of United States (US) drones and militant attacks since January 20, 2009. Compared with 25 drone strikes between January 2008 and January 2009, there were at least 87 such attacks between President Barack Obama taking office on January 20, 2009 and the end of June 2010. More than 700 people have been killed in such attacks under Obama, compared with slightly fewer than 200 from under his predecessor, George W Bush. Daily Times, July 24, 2010.

Television footage shows Fazalullah to be alive: A private television channel received the footage of the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) Swat leader Maulvi Fazalullah addressing his comrades, a report said on July 22. The fresh footage rubbishes statements of the Pakistani and Afghanistan Government that the TTP leader was killed in a clash with the Armed Forces. According to sources, it was the first footage, which had been released by Fazalullah himself. The footage showed the injured leg of the TTP leader, due to which he was walking slowly, which confirmed the news that he received a bullet in his leg. Fazalullah was reportedly killed on May 26, 2010 at Barg-Matal District of Nuristan Province in Afghanistan. Daily Times, July 23, 2010.

Pakistan calls for joint monitoring of Afghan border: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on July 22 emphasised the need for joint monitoring of the Pak-Afghan border and increased sharing of information between Pakistan and NATO- International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) forces on cross-border movement of terrorists. Daily Times, July 23, 2010.

Terrorists plan attacks on minorities’ worship places, say intelligence agencies: Terrorists are planning attacks on the worship places of minorities in Lahore, Jhang, Chiniot, Muzaffargarh and Chakwal, intelligence agencies reported on July 20. According to threat alert-233, "Terrorists are planning to carry out suicide attacks on offices of the ISI, government buildings, army check posts and other buildings". Daily Times, July 21, 2010.

Elements in Pakistan Government knows where Osama is, says US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Some elements in the Pakistan Government know the whereabouts of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She said Pakistan's intelligence establishment must share with the US any information about movement of bin Laden and al Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri. "...I assume somebody, somebody in this Government, from top to bottom, does know where bin Laden is. And I'd like to know too so I think we've got to keep pressure on, which we are doing," Hillary said. Earlier on July 19, she had said that she believed Osama bin Laden and Taliban spiritual head Mullah Omar were in Pakistan. The News; Times of India, July 20-21, 2010.

174 militants and 30 civilians among 205 persons killed during the week in FATA: At least 25 militants were killed and 23 others injured when the fighter jets and helicopter gunships of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bombed various parts of Upper Orakzai Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on July 18.

At least 16 persons were killed while four others sustained injuries as their vehicles were ambushed by unidentified militants in Char Khel locality of Kurram Agency on July 16. 10 persons, including three children, were killed and 14 others injured when a bomb planted inside a shop exploded in a market in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency.

At least 15 Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) militants were killed and several others injured as helicopter gunships targeted militant compounds in the Ghundaki, Mashti Kandi, Chapri Alikhel and Dharra Dhar Mamzai areas of Upper Orakzai on July 15.

A US drone destroyed a compound used by the TTP militants in Sheerani Mada Khel village of North Waziristan, killing at least 10 militants at around 6:30pm (PST).

24 TTP militants were killed and 34 others injured when the fighter jets of PAF pounded militant hideouts in Kasha, Srigaray, Khorhi, Mamoonzai and Shakartangi areas of Orakzai Agency on July 14.

At least 100 TTP militants were killed and one soldier injured in a clash with SFs in Dabori area of Orakzai Agency on July 13. Dawn; Daily Times; The News, July 12-18, 2010.

Senior Baloch nationalist leader killed in Balochistan: Habib Jalib Baloch, a former member of the Senate (Upper House of Parliament) and Secretary General of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal Group) was killed on July 14 by unidentified assailants in Quetta city, the Police said. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Rediff, July 15, 2010.

Times Square bomb plot suspect video threatens US: Faisal Shehzad, the man arrested for plotting car bombing in New York’s Times Square appeared in a video on Al-Arabiya television on July 14 in which he said he planned to attack the United States. The recording, whose authenticity could not immediately be confirmed, was made in English and had an Arabic voiceover. Daily Times, July 15, 2010.

Terrorists planning attacks across country, reveals intelligence report: Intelligence reports on July 7 revealed that, after the destruction of the terrorists’ communication systems and the disruption of their supply lines by law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and the Pakistan Army, the terrorists were planning to expedite suicide attacks across the country through suicide bombers and explosives-laden vehicles. Intelligence reports said that terrorists in Khyber Agency, Orakzai Agency and Malakand Division, including Swat, are gathering at Darra Adam Khel, which has now become their new safe haven. The intelligence reports said that, after the damage caused to their communication system during the month of June by LEAs and the Army, the terrorists were now using the "rifle rod antenna system", which is a weaker kind of communications system, and is easily detectable by LEAs. Daily Times, July 8, 2010.

New York bomb plot directed by al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan, says US: Al Qaeda’s top leadership in Pakistan directed confessed agent Najibullah Zazi in his plot to bomb the New York subway, US officials said on July 7. In an indictment against five alleged terrorists, the US Justice Department revealed Zazi’s plan was "directly related to a scheme by al Qaeda plotters in Pakistan to use Western operatives to attack a target in the UK". Earlier this year, Zazi pleaded guilty to the three charges of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and providing material support to the al Qaeda. He had told the federal court in Brooklyn in February that the plans to blow up New York targets just after the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks included "mortal operations" in the underground train system. Daily Times, July 8, 2010.

Put Kashmir issue on hold, says PoK 'Prime Minister' Raja Farooq Haider: Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) 'Prime Minister' Raja Farooq Haider advised the Pakistan Government not to link ongoing negotiations with India to resolution of the Kashmir issue, saying this is not the right time as Islamabad's position is "quite weak" due to "internal vulnerabilities". He suggested that Pakistan should first resolve "small irritants and controversial issues" before finally sorting out the "core issue of Kashmir." He said that Pakistan and India should maintain status quo on Kashmir for "some time." Daily Excelsior, July 7, 2010.

Suicide attacks in Pakistan are haram, says JuD chief Hafiz Saeed: The Jama’at-ud-Da’awa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed on July 6 declared suicide attacks in Pakistan haram (prohibited). He said suicide attacks had no moral grounds, and elements behind such attacks should be publicly executed. Daily Times, July 7, 2010.

107 civilians and 85 militants among 196 persons killed during the week in FATA: At least 22 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants were killed and another 10 were injured when Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter jets and helicopter gunships bombed various areas of Upper Orakzai Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on July 11.

Three Pakistan Army troopers were killed as Taliban (TTP) attacked SFs in Makeen District of South Waziristan Agency, sparking clashes in which 25 Taliban (TTP) militants were killed, officials said on July 10.

At least 65 persons were immediately killed, including women and children, and 110 persons were injured, as two suicide bombers blew themselves up near political offices, just seconds apart from each other, in Yakka Ghund tehsil of Mohmand Agency on July 9. The death toll subsequently increased to 106, as many of the wounded succumbed to injuries in hospitals, while 18 people are still missing, the political administration said on July 10.

At least 10 TTP militants, including a key commander, were killed and others sustained injuries, when the SFs pounded militants’ hideouts located in Orakzai Agency in the morning of July 9.

At least 15 militants were killed and 10 were wounded when SFs pounded militant hideouts in different areas of Orakzai Agency on July 7.

10 TTP militants were killed and four were injured when PAF jets bombed their hideouts in Orakzai Agency on July 5. Dawn; Daily Times; The News, July 6-12, 2010.

Government makes conditional talks offer to TTP: The Government on July 5 offered to hold talks with militant outfits provided that they lay down arms and accept the writ of State. It renewed call for talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants ready to renounce violence. It also announced that it is reactivating the National Counter Terrorism Authority to deal with the threat of terrorism. Daily Times, July 6, 2010.

Chinese Islamist militants setting up bases in Pakistan: An increasing number of militants of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) fighting for separation of China's Muslim majority Xinjiang province were "fleeing to Pakistan and settling down there for future plots," indicate reports. "According to latest reports, the ETIM has been in close collaboration with the Taliban and Osama bin Laden," China Daily said in its lead story on the first anniversary of the bloody riots in Xinjiang capital Urumqi in which an estimated 200 people were killed. It said an ETIM leader is also reported to be hiding in Pakistan and there are also reports of a "Chinese battalion" made up of about 320 ETIM members in the Taliban forces. It said a number of ETIM fighters were "fleeing to Pakistan and settling down there for future plots". "It is not hard for them (ETIM members) to hide in Pakistan. They have similar religious beliefs, appearances and languages as the locals," the report said. China Daily ; Indian Express, July 5, 2010.

143 militants and eight SFs among 152 persons killed during the week in FATA: At least 12 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants were killed when fighter jets pounded their hideouts in the Orakzai Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on July 4.

At least 10 TTP militants were killed in clashes with Security Forces (SFs) in Orakzai Agency of FATA on July 3. Four soldiers were killed and seven others sustained injuries when an IED hit a SFvehicle in Gurguri area in Bara tehsil (revenue unit) of Khyber Agency.

SFs killed 15 TTP militants during an operation in Akakhel area of Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency FATA on July 2.

10 militants were killed and six others sustained injuries when two groups of militants traded heavy fire in Neka Ziarat area in the central parts of Kurram Agency in FATA on July 1.

Fighter jets pounded TTP hideouts in various areas of Upper Orakzai Agency, killing 20 militants and injuring 15 others on June 30.

A US drone fired two missiles on a compound used by the Punjab chapter of the TTP near Wana in South Waziristan on June 29, killing at least ten militants, including an al Qaeda foreign fighter.

At least 66 TTP militants were killed and another 30 injured in air strikes and clashes with the SFs across the country’ northwest on June 27. In Orakzai Agency, the SFs said they had killed at least 63 TTP militants in the preceding 24 hours. The sources said, around 15 TTP militants were killed and another six injured in a clash with the SFs in the Agency’s Dabori area. Three soldiers were critically injured in the clash. In addition, eight TTP militants were killed and another 24 injured in a clash with the SFs in the Bakar Ghari area of Upper Orakzai. Also, the sources added that fighter jets attacked a makeshift TTP-run hospital in Upper Orakzai late on June 27, killing 40 TTP militants under treatment at the facility. In Khar, four troopers were killed when TTP militants ambushed an Army patrol in Bajaur Agency. Dawn; Daily Times; The News, June 29-July 04, 2010.

44 civilians among 46 persons killed during the week in Punjab: At least 44 persons were killed and 175 others injured when three suicide attackers blew themselves up inside the shrine of Lahore’s patron saint, Syed Ali Hajwairi, popularly known as Data Gunj Bakhsh, at about 11 pm (PST) in the night of July 1. Daily Times, June 29-July 4, 2010.

[South Asia Intelligent Review]