Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Pakistan: The one that got away...

Some of Maulvi's friends weren't so lucky.
Dang it.

Of all the luck! It looks like Maulvi Omar missed being a part of the recent Promotion of Virtue/Prevention of Vice missile attack dance party.

Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar reportedly escaped unhurt from an explosion at a militant compound in Bara, even as security forces continued patrolling on the third day of a government offensive intended to restore the writ of the state in the Khyber Agency.

The explosion, which killed at least seven people and wounded another nine, targeted a compound owned by a supporter of Haji Namdar, chief of the Amr Bil Maroof Wa Nahi Anil Munkar. Namdar’s spokesman Munsif Khan Afridi told Daily Times that Maulvi Omar had been in the compound in an attempt to arrange reconciliation between Haji Namdar and Baitullah Mehsud. Omar escaped unhurt, he added.

Dont' ya just love the Religion of Peace? That Promotion of Virtue/Prevention of Vice compound sure sounds just swell, doesn't it?
Here's a little more detail on the torture cell in the basement. Nice. There is no compulsion in Islam...there is torture, however.

The mysterious missile targeted the house of Hakeem Shah destroying its several portions. A number of rooms and portions of the house were razed to the ground whereas the remaining parts were damaged very badly. The damaged complex also included a prison or torture cell in its basement. A number of prisoners were locked in the cell when the missile attack took place and three of them were reportedly killed and several others injured.

More encouraging
news from the region: Tribesmen are "jubilating" over the operation...

Without any resistance, the security forces succeeded in demolishing the bases of the rival religious groups particularly occupied by activists of Lashkar Islam headed by Mangal Bagh. The security forces also succeeded in taking back four check posts of the traditional Khasadar forces from the militants in the area.On the third day of the operation, main bazaars and several shopping centers were reopened at Bara town and traffic also resumed on several roads. Common tribesmen who were made hostages by leaders and gun-totting stalwarts of the rival religious groups are jubilating the operation against the rival religious groups in the area, which besides Lashkar Islam of Mangal Bagh and Amar Bil Maroof of Haji Namdar also included Lashkar Ansar of Haji Mehboob.

And remember me telling those
two other banned Islamist groups to watch their back? They really should have listened. Troops raze two more militant centres in Bara.

And for the love of Allah! Baitulluah Mehsud just gets one fight patched up with Haji Namdar and two more crop up! By the camel's balls this is a feisty bunch. And they have the nerve to disagree with the way he wages jihad in Pakistan! Mehsud challenged by new militant bloc
Conflicts surfaced within the ranks of militant leaders on Tuesday when Taliban commanders from the Ahmedzai and Utmanzai Wazir tribes announced the formation of a bloc against Baitullah Mehsud.“We have formed a bloc to defend the Wazir tribes’ interests in North and South Waziristan,” Taliban commander Maulvi Nazir told Daily Times in Wana. He said the bloc was established on Monday. Nazir joined hands with Haji Gul Bahadar, a Taliban chief from North Waziristan, after several weeks of discussions.
-end-