Pakistan/Terrorism: twin blasts killed 4 at the Islamic University of Islamabad

According to Mohammad Afzal from the Pakistani emergency response department, two bombs exploded this Tuesday inside the Islamic university building of Islamabad, killing at least 4 people and injuring 13 others. “We have sent a team to the site. We are collecting information about casualties,” the policeman said. According to a first investigation, A suicide bomber reportedly blew himself up at the girls' cafeteria inside the campus. Another blast took place in the boys' hostel few minutes later.

No group have claimed responsibility of the attack but Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked activists have been blamed for a two-year campaign of suicide bombings and commando raids that killed more than 2000 people in the country.

The attack occurred three days after Islamabad launched (on Saturday) a military operation in the country's lawless region of South Waziristan, a stronghold for Taleban on the Afghan border.

Pakistan/Terrorism: army strikes militant hideouts in South Waziristan

Pakistani army continue its strike against Al-Qaeda and Taleban positions in South Waziristan. Residents of Wana, the main urban centre in South Waziristan, said there had been heavy fighting overnight. "There has been artillery fire throughout the night. It was very heavy firing," Noor Wali, a resident, said on Monday.

The army sait it had killed 60 militants in the first two days of its offensive against the Taleban, while five soldiers are dead. Pakistani army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas says the progress of the troops has been slow. "They are moving at a slow pace because it is a mountainous terrain. We have to be very sure-footed," he said. "There are a number of mines and IEDs in the area which require clearance. So, there are search and clearance operations also going on."

Meanwhile, a media report said on Monday that US-led NATO forces vacated more than half a dozen security check posts on the Afghan side of the border. “It is feared that the American decision will facilitate Afghan Taleban in crossing over to Pakistan and support militants in striking back at the Pakistani security forces in the troubled tribal area,” The News said in a report. “Latest reports indicate that the Americans have also removed some posts close to North Waziristan, which could encourage even more Afghan Taleban fighters to cross over to the Pakistan side. This has raised many eyebrows in government and military circles with points being made about ‘conflicting interests’ and dubious American designs,” The News added.

Pakistan/Terrorism: suicide bomber kills 12 in Peshawar

At least 12 people have been killed and more than 15 wounded when a suicie bomber detonated a car bomb this Friday at a mosque next to a police station in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar . “The attacker in Peshawar appeared to be aiming at the heavily guarded police station with a 70 kilogram car bomb,” said Malik Shafqat, a police explosives expert. “When guards outside tried to stop the car, the bomber detonated the explosives,” he said. The blast badly damaged the mosque as well as the police station.

Police said a woman appeared to have been involved in the attack, while provincial Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain said the bomber drove up to the police office. "His leg has been found. It is not clear if it is of a man or a woman," Hussain told reporters, adding three policemen were among the dead. “The blast killed 11 people, including three police officers, two women and two children,” said Liaqat Ali Khan, the Peshawar police chief. No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack but suspicion fell on the Taleban.

Meanwile, security measures have been strengtened in Pakistan after a series of attacks in Lahore and the north-west of the country killed about 40 people. On Thursday, Pakistani jet fighters and attack helicopters fired on militant hideouts in South Waziristan, killing more than 20 militants. The Thursday strikes targeted hideouts in and around the villages of Ladha, Makeen, Nawaz Kot and Sararogha.

Pakistan/Terrorism: at least 20 killed in terrorists attacks

At least 20 people have been killed and 30 others wounded on Thursday in a string of co-ordinated attacks on police headquarters in Lahore by terrorists belonging to Tehrik-e-Taleban (TeT) Pakistan, and a suicide car bomb attack in the restive northwest. According to the police, TeT gunmen raided the regional headquarters of the Federal Investigation Agency in Lahore, killing 7 people. It has been reported that at least four police officials and a gunman was among the killed. Also in Lahore, another 2 police training centres came under attack, but there were no reports of any casualties.

Meanwhile, 8 people were killed and dozens wounded in a suicide car bombing attack at a police station in the Kohat district of North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). “A bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the main gate of the station. According to the initial information, eight people are killed and around a dozen injured," said police spokesman Fazal Naeem. "For the moment, it's not clear how many policemen are among the dead," he added.

Pakistan/Terrorism: terror strikes again, powerful blast rocks Peshawar

An explosive laden vehicle exloded in a residential area of Peshawar, killing a child and wounding nine others on Thursday. The attack came within hours of terrorists striking in Lahore and Kohat, leaving 41 people dead.

Reportedly, the blast occurred in the Gulshan-e-Rehman colony on Kohat Road in Peshawar, capital of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Many employees of the NWFP government live in the colony. Officials at the Lady Reading Hospital said they had received the body of a child and added that nine persons were injured in the blast. An emergency was declared in all hospitals.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack. At least 41 people have been killed and 30 on Thursday in a string of co-ordinated attacks on police headquarters in Lahore by terrorists belonging to Tehrik-e-Taleban (TeT) Pakistan, and a suicide car bomb attack in the restive northwest.

Pakistan/Terrorism: Pakistani jets bomb militant hideouts, kills 10

At least 10 militants have been killed as Pakistani fighter planes attacked Taleban hideouts in South Waziristan on Wednesday, officials said. "It was intense bombing. Three hideouts were hit," Mohammad Khalid Khan, a senior government official in the region's main town of Wana, told reporters.

Another official who preferred not to be named said, “Jets staged successive bombing runs in villages around Ladha and destroyed several houses used by Taleban fighters," an intelligence official in the area said. "Sketchy reports given by informants put the death toll at 10."

Ladha, located 30 kilometers north of South Waziristan's main town Wana, is a stronghold of former Taleban commander Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed in an August 5 missile strike by a US-operated drone. Pakistani government announced in June it would launch a decisive offensive against Mehsud's network, and the army has since been pounding Taleban targets after sealing key land routes and promoting local anti-Taleban militias.

Pakistan/Terrorism: fighter planes bombs militants in South Waziristan

According to security officials Pakistani fighter planes bombed militants hideouts in the South Waziristan region on the Afghan border on Tuesday as government forces prepare for a ground offensive against the militants. "There's been a heavy bombardment. They targeted some militant hideouts as well as pro-Taleban tribal elders," said an intelligence agency official in the region, who declined to be identified. Two ethnic Pashtun tribal elders were said to have been killed, he said.

On Monday, at least 41 people, mainly civilians, were killed and 45 others were injured in a suspected suicide attack that occurred in the mountain market town of Alipur in the North West Frontier Province’s Shangla district.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani Taleban on Monday claimed responsibility for the attack in Rawalpindi, saying it had been carried out by a Punjab faction of the group. "It was carried out by our Punjab unit," spokesman Azam Tariq said by telephone. "We will take revenge for our martyrs and will carry out more attacks, whether it's the GHQ or something bigger", he said, referring to the army's General Headquarters.

Pakistan/Terrorism: 31 killed as fighter jets bomb Taleban hideouts

At least 31 suspected militants have been killed as Pakistani fighter jets attacked Taleban militants in northwest tribal belt bordering Afghanistan, government and security officials said Monday. "Jet fighters bombed various Taleban hideouts in Mamoond district of Bajaur," local government official Manasib Khan said. "The latest reports said that at least 12 militants were killed and nine were wounded in the air strikes," he said, adding that Taleban trenches on mountaintops and underground hideouts were targeted by the war planes.

"Ground troops are also using artillery to pound militant positions in Mamoond area," Khan said. An intelligence official at Khar, the main town in Bajaur, confirmed the air strikes and death toll. Fighter jets also bombed Taleban strongholds in South Waziristan. "Pakistan fighter jets bombed hideouts at Makeen and Ladha towns," Syed Shahab Ali Shah, the area's top administrative official, told reporters. A security official in South Waziristan's main town Wana said: "We have reports that at least 19 militants were killed in both Makeen and Ladha."

Reportedly, the aircraft strike against the militants launched late on Sunday, hours after commandos stormed an office building and rescued 39 people taken hostage by suspected Taleban militants after a brazen attack on the army's headquarters in Rawalpindi on Saturday. Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said three hostages, two commandos and four of the gunmen were killed in the pre-dawn rescue operation.

Pakistan/Terrorism: blast kills 32 in Shangla

At least 32 people have been killed and dozens more wounded in a suicide bombing in a crowded marketplace in Shangla district in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) on Monday, officials say. The explosion came in the morning after Pakistani fighter jets attacked suspected Taleban fighters in South Waziristan near the Afghan border.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani Taleban claimed responsibility for the attack in Rawalpindi, saying it had been carried out by a Punjab faction of the group. "It was carried out by our Punjab unit," spokesman Azam Tariq said by telephone. "We will take revenge for our martyrs and will carry out more attacks, whether it's the GHQ or something bigger", he said, referring to the army's General Headquarters.

On Saturday, commandos stormed an office building and rescued 39 people taken hostage by suspected Taleban militants after a brazen attack on the army's headquarters in Rawalpindi. Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said three hostages, two commandos and four of the gunmen were killed in the pre-dawn rescue operation.

Pakistan/Terrorism: at least 41 dead according to the new death toll following suicide attack in Alipur

At least 41 people, mainly civilians, were killed and 45 others were injured in the suspected suicide attack that occurred this Monday morning in the mountain market town of Alipur in the North West Frontier Province’s Shangla district. Among the 41 dead, there are at least six security personnel said a military official who asked to remain anonymous. According to other security sources, the terrorist blew himself up as a paramilitary convoy passed through an army checkpoint near the bazaar. Twelve shops and seven vehicles were also destroyed in the blast, including trucks carrying ammunitions, said Military spokesman Major Mushtaq Khan.

No group have claimed responsibility for the blast but the town of Alpuri was a stronghold of Taleban fugitives during the offensive in Swat valley last April.

Ten killed in attack against the army headquarter; hostages taken

Suspected Taliban attacked the army headquarters, today, in Rawalpindi. At least six soldiers and four terrorists were killed. An undetermined number of terrorists entrenched in a building with hostages.  

The attack took place as the military is said to be preparing a major offensive against the militants near the Afghan border.  

It is the third major Taliban attack in the country in less than a week. Last Monday, a suicide bomb attack against the U.N. compound in Islamabad killed several people and on Friday, 41 people were killed and more than one hundred were wounded by a truck bomb in a market in Peshawar.  

Pakistan/Terrorism: car bomb blast kills 41 in Peshawar

At least 41 people have been reportedly killed and more than 100 others wounded in a car bomb explosion in the northwestern Pakistani city of Pesawar on Friday. "Explosives were planted in a car and when it went off it hit the bus," provincial Information Minister of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Mian Iftikhar Hussain told reporters explaining that 15 wounded were in critical conditions. "We don't know if it was a remote controlled bomb or whether a suicide bomber was involved," he also said.

According to the police the explosion took place in Karachi Bazaar, part of Khyber market nearing the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) assembly in Peshawar. Police and army soldiers have cordoned off the entire area and rescue efforts are underway. “The attackers are the enemies of humanity,” Hussain said. “We won’t rest until we have eliminated them.”

Friday's attack came two weeks after another blast in a Peshawar commercial area left 11 dead. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, today. However, the Taleban, closed to Al-Qaeda have threatened to carry out more attacks unless operations against the militant group were stopped.

Pakistan/Terrorism: militants attack Afghan-bound supplies

Militants in Pakistan set fire several trucks carrying supplies to US and NATO troops in Afghanistan on Friday, police said. “Friday's pre-dawn attack took place close to the northwestern city of Peshawar,” said Fazal Rabi, a police official. There were no reports of injuries, he said.

Reportedly, about 30 gunmen attacked a depot on the outskirts of the city of Peshawar under cover of darkness. "The militants first fired and then set ablaze two oil tankers and four trucks loaded with military vehicles," said a guard at the depot who declined to be identified. Police confirmed the attack and the damage to supplies, but had no further details. No one was hurt.

Pakistani Taleban have often targeted US-NATO supply convoys passing through northwest Pakistan for Afghanistan, prompting  the United States and other countries with forces in landlocked Afghanistan to look for alternative routes. The US Defence Department says it sends about 75 percent of supplies for the Afghan war through or over Pakistan, including 40 percent of fuel for its troops.

Pakistan/Terrorism: jets pound TeT positions, 6 terrorists killed

According to security and intelligence officials in Islamabad, 6 terrorists were killed when Pakistani jets pounded Tehrik-e-Taleban (TeT) hideouts in northwest tribal regions on Tuesday. "Makeen and Nawaz Kot areas of South Waziristan were bombed," said an intelligence official. "We have reports that six TeT militants were killed and an unknown number of them were injured." Another security official in the neighbouring district of Dera Ismail Khan confirmed the militant death toll and said 3 militants were injured.

Meanwhile, Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas has blamed TeT leaders hiding in the tribal areas for "80 to 90 percent of the terror activities in Pakistan." "According to our analysis, the root of the terror is in South Waziristan where this group is present. It is a must to root out this terror and curse, and for this purpose an operation in this area is inevitable," he said. Abbas further said the operation is necessary to stop terrorism from establishing its roots and spreading in other areas.

Pakistan/Terrorism: foreign national among 3 killed in UN office bomb attack

Pakistani senior police official Tahir Alam said on Monday that a foreigner was among 3 people killed in a bomb explosion in the offices of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Islamabad.  “Six others were also injured in the explosion, possibly a timed-bomb planted in the basement of the offices,” he said. There are unconfirmed reports saying 4 to 5 people among the injured are also foreigners. A video footage from a local television network showed smoke rising from heavily fortified compound of the WFP.

A female WFP employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, "I was on the upper floor when there was the sound of a huge explosion downstairs. I went down and saw many of my colleagues lying on the floor full of blood. We immediately put the most critically wounded in a vehicle and rushed them to hospital." No one has claimed responsibility of the attack. However, the Tehrik-e-Taleban Pakistan has carried out a wave of attacks and suicide blasts in recent times.

United Kingdom/Pakistan/Terrorism: London to assist Islamabad on security body

The United Kingdom is assisting Pakistan in building a national security authority to fight terrorism and develop political stability, said a BBC report on Friday. According to senior British and Pakistani counter-terrorism officials, Britain will provide training and funding for the new body. “There will be a new counter-terrorism strategy within six months, and research projects will be launched. It will be modelled on terrorism units run by the Home Office and MI5.” The report further said that 200 experts, who will look after extremism and religious affairs, will be employed in Islamabad. British intelligence says about three-quarters of recent terrorist attacks in the UK have their origins in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Pakistani intelligence declared today that Tahir Yuldashev, leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, was killed in a US drone attack in South Waziristan earlier in August. A close ally of both the Taleban and Al-Qaeda, Yuldashev opposed to the Uzbek government. "The man is dead. He was killed in a drone attack in South Waziristan on August 27,” said a Pakistani intelligence official.

Afghanistan/Pakistan/Terrorism: Kabul urges regional cooperation to curb terrorism

Afghan Foreign Minster Rangin Dadfar Spanta has on Wednesday urged Pakistan for regional co-operation in order to curb the problem of Taleban and other terrorist organisations. “Afghanistan's relationship with Pakistan is vital for our security and development," he said. "Only by creating co-operative environment in the region, we can collectively address our interrelated challenges."

Spanta further said it is impossible to achieve peace if "the Taleban and other terrorist groups remain protected by external entities". The call was made in front of the UN Security Council during a briefing on United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Kabul had earlier stated that restive tribal regions across the border in Pakistan has become a safe haven for Islamist militants. "Good neighbourly relations are important to combat regional challenges of terrorism and drug trafficking," added Spanta.

Earlier on Tuesday, UN representative Kai Eide said Afghanistan was facing "decision-time" on whether to approach the rebels in a peaceful manner in order to end the war. He further said it would yield less results by relying on "simplistic" plans to put an end to the Taleban by “buying off rank-and-file fighters”. "A number of critical decisions will be made over the next weeks (that) will determine the prospects for success in ending the conflict.”

Pakistan/Terrorism: Tehrik-e-Taleban releases video confirming chief's death

According to the BBC on Wednesday, the Tehrik-e-Taleban (TeT) Pakistan has released a video footage that confirmed TeT chief Baitullah Mehsud's death. It has been reported that the brief footage showed the bodies of Mehsud and his wife moments after they were killed in a US drone attack on August 6. Even though US and Pakistani authorities have repeatedly claimed about his death, Mehsud's dead body was never recovered after the attack.

The TeT had never admitted the chief's death right after the attack. After nearly three weeks, the militant group admit Mehsud had been hurt in the strike and had later succumbed to his injuries. Apparently, the footage, which is less than 2-minutes long, is the only evidence of his death. "If there was a leader, there would have been some preparations. May Allah destroy these cruel people who do not use rifles and Allah knows what else, to kill us," said a voice in the footage. The BBC further said Mehsud's dead body was covered in a white funeral shroud, making it difficult to identify his injuries.

Pakistan/United States/Terrorism: US drone kills 6 Taleban

United States drone aircraft raided a Taleban hideout in the Sara Rogha village of South Waziristan on Tuesday, killing six terrorists and injuring six others, said two Pakistani intelligence officials on the condition of anonymity. Another security official in the area said the missiles struck the compound of local Tehrik-e-Taleban (TeT) commander Irfan Mehsud. It has been reported that two Uzbek fighters were among the killed, while Irfan Mehsud had survived the attack. Sara Rogha was the base for TeT chief Baitullah Mehsud – who was killed in a similar airstrike on August 5.

Washington has carried out more than 70 airstrikes in the restive northern Pakistan over the last year and has killed several Al-Qaeda and Taleban militants. Earlier, US officials have said that they are considering to intensify drone attacks against Al-Qaeda and Taleban militants hiding in the Pakistani side of the border with Afghanistan. Washington believes the strategy would be an alternative to deploying more troops in Afghanistan.

Pakistan/Terrorism: Anti-Taleban tribal elder among 4 killed in suicide attack

Maulana Abdul Hakeem, a pro-government Pashtun tribal leader, was killed along with two of his bodyguards and two passers-by on Monday in a suicide attack in the Baka-Khel area of North West Frontier Province’s Bannu district. “It was a suicide attack. The bomber smashed his car into the vehicle of Abdul Hakeem,” said police official Iqbal Khan. No one has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

At least 27 people had already been killed on Saturday in 2 suicide attacks in Bannu and Peshawar, NWFP’s provincial capital. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group later claimed responsibility for both attacks, saying they were carried out to avenge the death of their leader Baitullah Mehsud – who was killed in a US air strike in August 5. Qari Hussain Mehsud, a TTP commander who trains suicide bombers, also warned to increase suicide attacks if the Pakistani Army continues their operations against them. Al Qaeda’s second-in-command Ayman Al-Zawahiri praised his name in a in the 28-minute long video broadcast on several Islamist websites.