It is not yet clear whether Pakistan has deliberately been giving ground to Taliban and terrorists to register victory in tribal areas, or they are actually so powerful that the Pakistani government cannot defeat such a strong force.
Waziristan tribal region has been closed to newsmen so it is impossible to get the correct story of the events in the region. According to a report, the Taliban and terrorists have abducted some soldiers and later killed them after torturing them. The militants have refused to hand over the bodies of the dead soldiers.
The government authorities have been holding talks with the militants in attempt to recover the bodies of the soldiers. Who are these terrorists? They have been calling themselves the Taliban. There are many questions which can be asked of the rulers such as, just who has been providing weapons to these terrorists or Taliban?
There is the impression in the tribal areas that these Taliban and terrorists have been enjoying the support of rulers. The rulers have been providing weapons to these people.
A report said that Security forces killed an estimated 18 suspected militants during a firefight late Sunday evening near the Afghan border in North Waziristan, a pro-Taliban cleric announced on Monday.
"Please donate for the burial of 18 martyrs who died in clashes with security forces," cleric Qari Muhammad Roman announced during Zuhr prayers here.
He told worshippers that the army informed him that 18 militants were killed when they attacked the Pusht Ziarat checkpost in Shawal, west of Miranshah and close to the Afghan border.
People donated more than Rs 10,000 for burial arrangements of the militants, local Taliban sources said. "The cleric was airlifted by the military Monday afternoon and perhaps taken to the place where the clash occurred," a close aide to the cleric said.
Qari Roman has been asking for such donations since the militants blew up the only Town Committee Hall where the military previously kept unidentified bodies of militants.
Army spokesman Maj-Gen Waheed Arshad said on Monday that 14 militants had been killed in the attack on Pusht Ziarat checkpost, reported AP.
He said the post's commander reported the deaths of 14 militants before it came under fire again at about noon.
According to AP, officials then lost contact with the post and did not know the fate of the 16 soldiers stationed there.
An intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two soldiers were killed and five injured at the checkpost. However, Arshad said he had no information of these casualties.
Meanwhile, masked gunmen killed a tribesman in Mir Ali bazaar for allegedly spying on the Taliban for the US, eyewitnesses said. "Two masked gunmen appeared from a car and sprayed Waliullah with bullets and announced that he had been an American spy," the eyewitnesses said.
Previously, militants had kidnapped and beheaded spies and the Monday killing showed a changed strategy in discouraging spying.
Late Monday evening, loud explosions were heard in Miranshah and security sources said gunfire was directed at suspected militant hideouts. However, it was not clear in which direction the artillery shots were fired.
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