Nov 06, 2009
TEHRAN: The deputy head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards charged on Friday that Pakistan arrested and then released the leader of Jundallah a few days before a suicide bombing claimed by the Sunni rebel group.
'We have precise information about the movement and places where terrorists are hiding,' the Fars news agency quoted Brigadier General Hossein Salami as saying.
'On September 26, Abdolmalek Rigi was arrested in one of the streets of Quetta but after one hour he was released following the intervention of the intelligence service of our neighbouring country,' Salami said.
Quetta is the capital of Pakistan's Baluchistan province, which borders Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province where Jundallah is active. Ethnic Baluchis, the community the rebel group says it is fighting for, straddle the border.
Some 42 people, including 15 Revolutionary Guards members, died in the October 18 bombing in the Sistan-Baluchestan town of Pisheen.
'How is it possible that this guy can move freely (unless he is) under the protection of the intelligence services?' the Guards number two said, according to Fars.
Iran has said those responsible for the bombing were based in Pakistan and has demanded that Islamabad hand Rigi over.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
FBI: Headley and Rana planned to attack National Defence College in New Delhi
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has revealed that David Coleman Headley and LeT operative Tahawwur Hussain Rana were planning to launch attacks on the prestigious National Defence College in New Delhi. The duo were arrested by the FBI. Rana is a Pakistani-born Canadian citizen and was staying in Chicago.
The FBI arrested them, while they were planning a Mumbai-type terror attack in India. A Pakistani diplomat Aman Rashid is under scanner, as he was trying to help Headley acquire a Pakistan visa. He reportedly knew of Headley and Rana's plans.
Rashid, Headley and Rana are the former students of the Cadet College Hasan Abdal school. Aman Rashid is currently Pakistan's consul general in Chicago. While Headley and Rana wanted to attack several key installations in India, their prime target was the National Defence College in New Delhi, said FBI.
The FBI arrested them, while they were planning a Mumbai-type terror attack in India. A Pakistani diplomat Aman Rashid is under scanner, as he was trying to help Headley acquire a Pakistan visa. He reportedly knew of Headley and Rana's plans.
Rashid, Headley and Rana are the former students of the Cadet College Hasan Abdal school. Aman Rashid is currently Pakistan's consul general in Chicago. While Headley and Rana wanted to attack several key installations in India, their prime target was the National Defence College in New Delhi, said FBI.
Pakistan militants kill 2 women teachers
Two women school teachers were killed Wednesday when armed Islamist militants ambushed their car in Pakistan's troubled tribal region bordering Afghanistan, local officials said.
The women were travelling from the school they taught at in Khar -- the main town in the northwestern tribal district of Bajaur -- when insurgents bearing automatic weapons sprayed the vehicle with bullets.
"Two women teachers were killed and two men were injured in the firing by militants," administration official Adalat Khan told media persons. Tribal police confirmed the incident.
Islamist insurgents who oppose the education of girls have bombed and destroyed hundreds of northwestern schools in recent years.
Militants have recently stepped up activity in Bajaur, one of Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal districts straddling the Afghan border, which are considered a stronghold of Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked extremists.
The women were travelling from the school they taught at in Khar -- the main town in the northwestern tribal district of Bajaur -- when insurgents bearing automatic weapons sprayed the vehicle with bullets.
"Two women teachers were killed and two men were injured in the firing by militants," administration official Adalat Khan told media persons. Tribal police confirmed the incident.
Islamist insurgents who oppose the education of girls have bombed and destroyed hundreds of northwestern schools in recent years.
Militants have recently stepped up activity in Bajaur, one of Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal districts straddling the Afghan border, which are considered a stronghold of Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked extremists.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Iran arrests 8 Pakistanis from Jiwani
Monday, November 02, 2009
The Iranian Marine Security Agency on Sunday arrested eight officials of the Fisheries Department in the Jiwani coastal area.
Officials in Gwadar confirmed that eight personnel, including a marine inspector, had been arrested by the Iranian Marine Security Agency while on a routine patrol.
The Pakistani officials have been charged with illegally crossing into the Iranian territorial waters.
The arrested officials, including Marine Inspector Abdul Salam, have been moved to Chabahar, an Iranian port city, for further investigation. Pakistani officials said the arrested personnel had not been released until late on Sunday, despite repeated requests.
Tensions between Iran and Pakistan have mounted in recent weeks after a suicide bomb struck the Iranian town of Sarbaz, killing the deputy chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and around 40 others.
Subsequently, Iran sealed its border with Pakistan and accused Islamabad of harbouring Abdul Malik Reigi, the chief of Jundullah, which claimed responsibility for the attack.
Last week, officials arrested 10 Iranian Revolutionary Guards personnel from inside Pakistani territory after they allegedly crossed the Pakistani border in their hunt for Jundullah activists.
Jundallah emerged seven years ago in Iran with claims to fight for the rights of minority Baloch Sunnis in Iran, who it said were denied basic rights by the dominant Shia regime in Tehran.
However, both countries managed to settle the dispute diplomatically the government Islamabad directed authorities in Quetta to release all the detained Iranian officials.
It is the first time that the Iranian officials have arrested such a large number of Pakistani government officials on charges of illegally crossing the border.
The Iranian Marine Security Agency on Sunday arrested eight officials of the Fisheries Department in the Jiwani coastal area.
Officials in Gwadar confirmed that eight personnel, including a marine inspector, had been arrested by the Iranian Marine Security Agency while on a routine patrol.
The Pakistani officials have been charged with illegally crossing into the Iranian territorial waters.
The arrested officials, including Marine Inspector Abdul Salam, have been moved to Chabahar, an Iranian port city, for further investigation. Pakistani officials said the arrested personnel had not been released until late on Sunday, despite repeated requests.
Tensions between Iran and Pakistan have mounted in recent weeks after a suicide bomb struck the Iranian town of Sarbaz, killing the deputy chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and around 40 others.
Subsequently, Iran sealed its border with Pakistan and accused Islamabad of harbouring Abdul Malik Reigi, the chief of Jundullah, which claimed responsibility for the attack.
Last week, officials arrested 10 Iranian Revolutionary Guards personnel from inside Pakistani territory after they allegedly crossed the Pakistani border in their hunt for Jundullah activists.
Jundallah emerged seven years ago in Iran with claims to fight for the rights of minority Baloch Sunnis in Iran, who it said were denied basic rights by the dominant Shia regime in Tehran.
However, both countries managed to settle the dispute diplomatically the government Islamabad directed authorities in Quetta to release all the detained Iranian officials.
It is the first time that the Iranian officials have arrested such a large number of Pakistani government officials on charges of illegally crossing the border.
UN reduces staff in NW Pakistan out of insecurity
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has decided to reduce the presence of international staff in northwestern Pakistan in light of the security situation in the region, a UN spokesperson said Monday.
Only those staff who are vital for emergency, humanitarian relief or security operations, among other essential operations will stay, Michele Montas told reporters at UN Headquarters.
All other international UN Staff who were involved in the running of program activities will be relocated out of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), she said.
"Security measures will be enhanced for staff that will continue their work in those areas," she said.
Montas added that the UN is committed to providing development and humanitarian assistance to the people of Pakistan, and will continue to work in the areas where help is required.
Parts of NWFP, including its capital, Peshawar, have been the site of numerous bombings and attacks this year.
In addition, NWFP and FATA have been the targets of the government's military operations to root out militants. Earlier this year, more than 2 million Pakistanis were displaced by the conflict between government forces and militants in NWFP.
While about half of them have returned home, a new offensive in South Waziristan has already uprooted more than 100,000 people in recent weeks.
Only those staff who are vital for emergency, humanitarian relief or security operations, among other essential operations will stay, Michele Montas told reporters at UN Headquarters.
All other international UN Staff who were involved in the running of program activities will be relocated out of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), she said.
"Security measures will be enhanced for staff that will continue their work in those areas," she said.
Montas added that the UN is committed to providing development and humanitarian assistance to the people of Pakistan, and will continue to work in the areas where help is required.
Parts of NWFP, including its capital, Peshawar, have been the site of numerous bombings and attacks this year.
In addition, NWFP and FATA have been the targets of the government's military operations to root out militants. Earlier this year, more than 2 million Pakistanis were displaced by the conflict between government forces and militants in NWFP.
While about half of them have returned home, a new offensive in South Waziristan has already uprooted more than 100,000 people in recent weeks.
Twin suicide attack in Pakistan's Lahore
LAHORE: Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a police checkpoint at the entrance to Pakistan's city of Lahore late Monday, wounding seven people, a senior police official said.
"A car was stopped at the checkpost and the two suicide bombers in the car exploded themselves. We have found legs and a head," city police chief Pervez Rathor told reporters.
"One warden and two constables were critically wounded and four civilians are also injured.
"Bomb disposal staffs are defusing remaining explosives in the car. Thank God no one died," Rathor added.
"A car was stopped at the checkpost and the two suicide bombers in the car exploded themselves. We have found legs and a head," city police chief Pervez Rathor told reporters.
"One warden and two constables were critically wounded and four civilians are also injured.
"Bomb disposal staffs are defusing remaining explosives in the car. Thank God no one died," Rathor added.
Bomb attack near military headquarters in Pakistan kills 20
Pakistani policemen secure the site after a sucide bomb blast in Rawalpindi.
Rawalpindi : At least 20 people were killed in a bombing near the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, with army and defence ministry personnel believed to be among the victims.
The blast at a small shopping centre may have targeted army officers drawing their salaries out from a bank branch on the ground floor of the building.
Witnesses said that the bodies of the dead and injured were lying across the car park and road in front of the shopping centre, with women and children among them.
Pools of blood and the twisted metal remains of vehicles could be seen after the bodies were removed by ambulance. Some 30 were wounded.
“It was a huge blast. Smoke is rising from the scene,” Nasir Naqvi, who runs a travel agency near the site of blast.
The site of the explosion is within a few hundred metres from the military headquarters complex and the bank may have been the nearest for soldiers to use. The Ministry of Defence is also located nearby. Given it was the first working day of the month, many people will have just had their wages and pensions paid into their account. The capital, Islamabad, is a 25 minute drive away.
Pakistan has been hit by a ferocious wave of terrorist attacks, coinciding with the launch of a military offensive in the South Waziristan region, in the tribal area along the Afghan border, the base of the country’s Taliban movement that is behind most of the bloodshed.
Separately, Pakistan announced rewards of £3m for information leading to the killing or capture of the Taliban leadership.
The United Nations announced that it was suspending development work in the terrorism-plagued North West Frontier Province and the tribal area. The U.N., which has lost 11 employees to terrorist violence, will reduce the number of international staff in the country.
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