The Pakistani military brought out the big guns in a battle in the Darra Adam Khel area of Pakistan and put some serious hurt on the Taliban in the process - to the tune of 34 Taliban that the World doesn't have to stomach ever again. The reports claim that two Pakistani troops were killed in the action.
Now, of course, the Taliban are disputing the numbers, but if you believe the Taliban, Mullah Omar is sitting at a craps table in Vegas and they aren't actually living in mud huts and caves now. The Pakistani army has moved in a lot of artillery and is pounding the mountainsides hitting numerous Taliban targets. I have to give Musharraf credit for the risk taken in moving in the big guns - he needed lots of troops to pull this off and he has committed that.
Hopefully, the Taliban losses will get into three figures by the end of the weekend.
Here's the full story from Bill Roggio's Long War Journal.
Now, of course, the Taliban are disputing the numbers, but if you believe the Taliban, Mullah Omar is sitting at a craps table in Vegas and they aren't actually living in mud huts and caves now. The Pakistani army has moved in a lot of artillery and is pounding the mountainsides hitting numerous Taliban targets. I have to give Musharraf credit for the risk taken in moving in the big guns - he needed lots of troops to pull this off and he has committed that.
Hopefully, the Taliban losses will get into three figures by the end of the weekend.
Here's the full story from Bill Roggio's Long War Journal.
Taliban, Pakistani troops clash in Darra Adam Khel
By Bill RoggioJanuary 25, 2008 11:42 AM
Thirty-four Taliban and two Pakistani soldiers have been killed after the Pakistani military cordoned the Darra Adam Khel region and launched an assault to retake the trucks and clear the area of Taliban forces. "Heavy shelling has been taking place with artillery and gunship helicopters while militants claim to have taken control of Zarghoonkhel checkpost,' Geo TV reported.
The security situation in Orakzai has slowly deteriorated as the Taliban took effective control of the tribal agency over the past two years. The Pakistani military denied rumors it would launch military operations to clear the Taliban from the area. The city of Darra Adam Khel is a notorious weapons bazaar where the Taliban and criminal elements obtain hand-crafted firearms.
The Pakistani military launched the assault after two peace jirgas, or councils, were formed in an attempt to get the Taliban to surrender the trucks and supplies. The soldiers were released.
The Pakistani military claimed 40 Taliban fighters and eight soldiers were killed during the operation, and another 40 Taliban were captured. Maulvi Omar, the spokesman for Baitullah Mehsud, the commander of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, disputed the claim. Omar said 25 Pakistani soldiers and seven Taliban fighters were killed in the battles.
"It seems that armed forces are conquering India," Omar said, mocking the Pakistani military's account of the fighting in South Waziristan. "But [Taliban] loyal to Baitullah Mehsud are bravely resisting the military across South Waziristan Agency."
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