Pakistani military launches new offensive in border areas

by wsws (reposted)

Mon, Nov 17, 2008 10:21PM

Since August, a Pakistani military offensive against Islamist militants of the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e-Taliban, has laid waste to the tribal agency of Bajaur and the adjoining Swat Valley region of North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

The military claims to have killed over 1,500 "Taliban" in Bajaur, at the cost of 83 dead and more than 300 wounded soldiers. In the process, much of the area has been forcibly depopulated. An estimated 300,000 people have been driven from their homes by indiscriminate government bombardments and air strikes.

The ruthless campaign is now being extended into the agency of Mohmand, to the south of Bajaur. On Thursday, the Islamabad government issued an ultimatum to the ethnic Pashtun tribes in Mohmand to drive out a Pakistani Taliban cell led by local militant Abdul Wali, or face destruction.

The statement declared: "We warn the Mohmand tribes to sever ties with Tehrik-e-Taliban's Abdul Wali group as the government is preparing action against the group. Get all elements of the Abdul Wali group out of your homes, otherwise they will be targeted by helicopters and jet bombers."

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http://wsws.org/articles/2008/nov2008/paki-n17.shtml

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