Key Taliban Leader Killed By Pakistani Security Forces In Swat

This is very good news. Fourteen Taliban were killed by Pakistani security forces in clashes in the Swat valley of Pakistan and among those killed was prominent Taliban leader, Ali Bakht. Here's the details from the Daily Times:

Prominent Taliban leader Ali Bakht was among 14 militants killed during clashes with security forces in the Swat valley on Wednesday.Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan confirmed Bakht’s killing in the Dewlay area of Kabal tehsil. Locals said that the clash erupted when security forces razed the houses of Ali Bakht, his brother Ibrahim and two other militant commanders, upon which the militants attacked the troops. Locals said that the clash lasted for around five hours. Bakht was head of the Taliban committee holding negotiations with the NWFP government and a key aide of rebel cleric Mullah Fazlullah.

This is one of the first higher ranking leaders of the Taliban killed by Pakistani security forces and as you can see, they probably wouldn't have gotten him if he hadn't gotten pissed off about having his house plowed under....haha. But it's all good when a chump like this goes down.

If we could just count on the Pakistan forces to continue the pressure in the North West Frontier provinces because you can tell that when they are at work, the attacks just inside the Afghan border go way down. But of course, the pattern has been inconsistent as hell as the Pakistani government can't decide whether they are going to be friends or foe to the Taliban.

Key Taliban leader among 14 killed in Swat

MINGORA: Prominent Taliban leader Ali Bakht was among 14 militants killed during clashes with security forces in the Swat valley on Wednesday.Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan confirmed Bakht’s killing in the Dewlay area of Kabal tehsil. Locals said that the clash erupted when security forces razed the houses of Ali Bakht, his brother Ibrahim and two other militant commanders, upon which the militants attacked the troops. Locals said that the clash lasted for around five hours. Bakht was head of the Taliban committee holding negotiations with the NWFP government and a key aide of rebel cleric Mullah Fazlullah.Meanwhile, two Taliban were killed while planting a bomb in the Ali Gram area of Kabal in Swat. Another militant died in a clash with police following attack on a police station in Shah Dara area of Mingora. Militants also set a middle school on fire in the Ali Gram area.Meanwhile, the local administration has said they would establish schools in areas where militants had burned schools for girls and boys. Regional Co-ordination Officer Fazal Karim Khattak told Daily Times that special security measures would be adopted to stop militants from setting schools on fire.