Pakistan

Day 3: Hundreds of militants storm Upper Dir

Hundreds of militants on Friday again besieged Upper Dir, shortly after troops claimed to have regained control.

Iftikhar Firdous/afp June 03, 2011

SHALTALO: Hundreds of militants stormed Upper Dir and destroyed eight schools, after a cross-border raid stretched into its third day on Friday.

Afghan Taliban militants had crossed over into Pakistan and attacked Shaltalo checkpoint in the northwestern district of Upper Dir and sparked a long and fierce gun battle.

The militants have now taken refuge in the Bin Shahi area, located on the border. Fresh troops have entered the area and gunship helicopters have also carried out shelling. Mortars are also being fired from the Samarbagh area.

The Shaltalo checkpoint has been cleared and is under the control of the military.

At least 27 security personnel and three civilians were killed in a battle with the intruding militants, officials said. Some 45 militants were also killed in a joint operation of the paramilitary troops and police, said Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Inspector General of Police Fayaz Toru.

After the first clash, Pakistan conveyed "strong concern" to the Afghan ambassador to Islamabad, calling for "stern action" by Afghan and US-led NATO troops to crack down on militants in eastern Afghanistan.

Shaltalo and Nusrat Darra are surrounded by mountains and forest, about six kilometres from the border with Afghanistan's Kunar province.

COMMENTS (24)

Thinking | 13 years ago | Reply These Mossad and ISI elements must be cleared out immediately! They are collaborating with the CIA and also getting funding from Iran. There is also a Saudi-Wahabi element which cannot be ignored. When will Zardari and Gilani create a commission to investigate the obvious perpetrators who continue to make the ISI and Army look bad? Please, for the sake of Pakistan's national unity ET must stop all non-pro-ISI commenters. (If you didn't get the sarcasm above, please move to North Wazirstan and enjoy the drones humming above you).

sara | 13 years ago | Reply you all seem to be living in a utopian world.

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R S JOHAR | 13 years ago | Reply @Zia Ur Rehman: Fully agree with your report. The details given by you must be known to military also but why did they not react earlier?

V S S Sarma | 13 years ago | Reply Fahad B: You are right. The attack appears to be an Indian RAW attack. Those two people in the photo look like Indian RAW.

Nazir Habib | 13 years ago | Reply If GOP had agreed to attacking the Haqqani group then this attack would not have taken place. On one hand the US says we are strategic partners on the other NATO, ISAF, India and Afghan forces combined with the Northern Alliance attack Dir. If TNSM has combined with the TTP and the aforesaid groups, then we do have a firefight on our hands. The GOP has gotten itself into a demonic mess. Salams.

Somdet | 13 years ago | Reply @Fahad B: "Looks like under cover remote Indian attack to me!" Hahaha. good one. I love it.

Watan | 13 years ago | Reply Is this not a biggest violation of our sovereignty. Where are our dummy political leaders especially Ch Nisar. Nawaz will fled the country and these mercenaries will terrorize common silent majority. Is this islam? These thugs are smugglers and supplier of drugs, weapons and suicide bombers. But still we are talking of strategic depth. Will we be the victim of the depth of our skewed vision.

ArifQ | 13 years ago | Reply Sovereignty violation? Why has everyone gone mum! No Imran Khan, JI, PML-N etc etc protesting violation of our honor leave alone the killing of Pakistani soldiers and civilians.

Truthbetold | 13 years ago | Reply Thanks Zia ur Rehman. Please take care of yourself but carry on your good, fact-based reporting. Just started following you on Twitter.

pl/sql | 13 years ago | Reply @Fahad B: Yeah keep blaming others and the Taliban will one day come out from under your bed in the middle of the night. LOL!

Azman | 13 years ago | Reply The death of Pakistan is near.

wah wah | 13 years ago | Reply hmmm... stay awake, pak armed forces are sleeping yet again. :)

Nizam | 13 years ago | Reply good luck Iftikhar! Stay alive

MAS | 13 years ago | Reply another proof that Afghans are anti-pakistan and working against pakistan

mind control | 13 years ago | Reply Why should Haqqanis and his band of merrymen have all the fun? Why should Sufi Muhhamad and his band of scary men not have some fun too. And if NWA can be ceded to the Haqqani freedom fighters, why should Dir not be ceded to the TNSM? Both are looking for a Shariah based caliphate afterall.

S | 13 years ago | Reply more reasons to put up a fence on the border!

Fahad B | 13 years ago | Reply Looks like under cover remote Indian attack to me!

sympathy with devil taliban is root cause | 13 years ago | Reply sympathy with devil taliban is root cause what can they give ask anybody in any area of world do you love ot hate taliban they say they hate

QuranVsHadith | 13 years ago | Reply Yes the Pak military is on the move!! now the excuses will start flying.. HOW DARE these TALIBAN did not give 48 hour ADVANCED NOTICE and put on NEON VESTs so that the Pak Military could at least have a fair chance of killing them.. HOW DARE these TALIBAN attack without warning!

M.Akthar | 13 years ago | Reply Hi Zia, Thanks for the post and the report (I went through your website & found it informative). It could be nice if you can post further details on the Geography, may be taken out some info from Google Maps. Further details can be distance from Afghan border, how so many were able to come crossing the Army Border Posts, what`s the casualty figures (as the reports are sketchy and no bodies of Taliban were found as per report). & Yes buddy, its a dangerous world & please do not take any risk in getting more info. Life is more precious than truth. Thanks Again.

Saad | 13 years ago | Reply wait and see, there will ne no action from the Pak armed forces again. Even if it comes will eb too late and just in pieces. They don't want to eliminate these fanatics, infect these fanatics have infiltrated them already.

Arshad Mehsud | 13 years ago | Reply good piece to understand the militancy in Dir region

pakbeg | 13 years ago | Reply latest reports are saying PAKISTANI troops have died in hundreds there has been a massacre this defeat if true will have repercussions and heads need to roll now

Zia Ur Rehman | 13 years ago | Reply Please read my analytical report I wrote in Marah stating that Taliban militants are regrouping in Dir region, The recent attacks shows that the militants who had dispersed and fled to Afghanistan and adjacent tribal areas during the operation, are regrouping and trying to regain a foothold in the region. http://wp.me/pXYKS-5d

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