Pakistan Says Army Seized Taliban, Al-Qaeda Base, AFP, 2 March 2010
EXCERPT: "Pakistan's army on Tuesday revealed a vast Taliban and Al-Qaeda hideout dug into mountains near the Afghan border and captured in an offensive that killed 75 local and foreign militants. Commanders gave journalists a guided tour of the bastion, carved into sheer rock within clear view of the snow-capped mountains of eastern Afghanistan and said by one general to comprise 156 caves developed over five to seven years. Pakistan seized the complex in its latest offensive against militants in its semi-autonomous tribal belt, following US pressure on the country to eliminate Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked groups who attack Western troops in Afghanistan. Major General Tariq Khan told journalists on the visit that the warren of caves in the Damadola area had served as a militant headquarters until it was overrun by troops in an offensive launched in January. 'There were Egyptians, Uzbeks, Chechens and Afghans killed in the operation,' he said."
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Related articles:
Pakistan secures Taliban hub; militiamen dance, AlertNet, 2 March 2010
Militant operation imminent in Orakzai, Tirah, DAWN, 2 March 2010
Seven militants killed in fresh Khyber clashes, DAWN, 2 March 2010
Related reports:
Al-Qaeda's safe havens, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 1 March 2010
Related posts:
Bajaur Agency: The new landscape of insurgency in FATA, 15 February 2010
Military captures Taliban stronghold on Afghan border, 8 February 2010
Northwest turns volatile following suicide attack, Bajaur offensive, 1 February
Rift among Bajaur Taliban widens as casualties mount, 29 January 2010
Countering militancy in FATA, 26 October 2009
