'Dozens die' in Pakistan fighting

by BBC (reposted)

Sat, Mar 31, 2007 9:22AM

Fifty-two people have been killed in fresh fighting between foreign militants and local tribesmen in Pakistan, the interior minister says.

Forty-five of the dead are foreign militants, thought to be of Uzbek origin, Aftab Khan Sherpao said.

The clashes began when tribesmen from the partially autonomous South Waziristan region began trying to eject the foreign fighters.

With journalists barred from the area, casualty figures are hard to confirm.

The fighting has been going on for over a week.

In that time government figures put the number of dead at around 200. But that estimate is considerably higher than reports to the BBC from local people, who put the total at just a few dozen.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6511375.stm

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§Fighting between near Afghan border kills another 52

by UK Independent (reposted)

Sat, Mar 31, 2007 9:34AM

Fighting between local and foreign militants near the Afghan border killed 52 people Friday, a senior official said, a flare-up in a conflict that has pitted Pakistanis against suspected al-Qaida-linked extremists.

Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said 45 Uzbek militants and seven tribesmen died in battles in South Waziristan, a lawless region used as a rear base by Taliban militants fighting in Afghanistan and where the United States fears that al-Qaida is regrouping.

Sherpao told The Associated Press that the latest deaths bring to 213 the number of people killed since the fighting began last week, including 177 Uzbeks and their local allies.

The minister said the conflict intensified Friday after foreigners failed to comply with an ultimatum from tribal elders to leave their territory. Security officials said tribal militias had fired rockets at the hideouts of the foreigners in several locations.

An aide to Maulvi Nazir, the leader of the purportedly pro-government side in the conflict, said earlier Friday that they had killed 35 Uzbeks and lost 10 of their own men. He said both sides were using heavy weapons. The aide, who spoke to AP by telephone, asked for anonymity to prevent enemies from identifying him.

South Waziristan is generally off-limits to journalists, making it hard to verify reports of the fighting.

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http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2408099.ece

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