Pakistan launches operation near Afghan border
By: Agencies on: 05.07.2011
ISLAMABAD — The Pakistani military says it has launched a new operation in a strategic tribal area that juts into Afghanistan.
Pakistani army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas says the operation in the Kurram tribal area is aimed at militants who have staged suicide attacks and kidnapped locals.
Abbas said on Tuesday that the operation was focused on central Kurram and also sought to clear the main road that runs through the area to Peshawar, the main city in Pakistan's northwest.
Kurram is home to Pakistani Taliban militants who have declared war on the government.
It is also reportedly being used by Afghan militants to transit to Afghanistan to attack NATO troops.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story is below.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani intelligence officials say a roadside bomb hit an army vehicle near the Afghan border, killing one soldier and wounding 14 others.
The officials say the attack happened Tuesday morning in Miran Shah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal area. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack. But North Waziristan is a major sanctuary for Pakistani Taliban fighters who are waging war against the government.
The area is also a hub for Afghan Taliban militants and their allies who regularly launch cross-border attacks against NATO and Afghan forces in Afghanistan.
http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/pakistan-launches-operation-near-998295.html