Intelligence leads: ‘TTP chief convenes meeting to plan revenge attacks’
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakeemullah Mehsud has convened a meeting in North Waziristan to plan targeted attacks in case of the expected resumption of Nato supplies, an intelligence agency’s report reveals.
An extract of the intelligence report states that Mehsud convened a meeting with several senior commanders of TTP, Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan and Al-Qaeda in North Waziristan Agency in the second week of February.
The report adds that in case of the resumption of Nato supplies, the militants will show their anger through terrorist activities across the country, including targeting high-profile personalities.
Information about the planned attacks as well as other possible threats has been forwarded to the police and other law enforcement agencies by the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) of the interior ministry. Officials have been directed to beef up security at possible target sites.
The report says possible targets not only include US diplomats and their bases in Pakistan, but also Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, interior minister Rehman Malik, Imran Khan and Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
A separate report revealed that the Jundullah group also held a meeting to plan out attacks across the country, particularly in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore. It added that the group had established an army of 21 militants for the purpose.
The said army will report to Hakeemullah Mehsud, who will also assign the targets. It said that the targets assigned to this group would be government offices, sensitive installations, important personalities and law enforcement agencies.
Yet another report says that five TTP militants have entered Punjab from the Darya Khan Bridge in a double-cabin vehicle and are armed with huge quantities of explosives, ammunition and different numbered licence plates.
The report says the law enforcement agencies have been informed of planned attacks in and around Lahore, particularly near the Fortress Stadium situated in the cantonment area, during this month (April).
It identifies two militants Waqar and Atique as the masterminds behind attacks planned in the metropolitan cities and mentions two suspected suicide bombers from Orakzai Agency.
Law enforcers have also noted the suspicious activities of two unknown suspects around the US consulate in Lahore. According to a report, security staff has been alerted about a Toyota Corolla car hovering around the area. It added that the licence plate on the car, LWK-3393, was counterfeit and actually belonged to a motorcycle.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 19th, 2012.
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Mehsud is living on borrowed time, sooner or later US Spec Ops or a US drone will wax this guy like we have all previous Taliban commanders...his days and the days of the Taliban in general are numbered.
@Hamda imam: Well being in pak,shia ppl can only curse these Taliban..Nothing more As for some others they are the "saviour" of islam
@Super Star: Agreed!!!!!! Well this is the conterversy to stop them to play cricket in Pak :)
@Hamda imam: Pakistan makes sophisticated and ultra infra arms, including missiles. Do I presume its Pakistan?
@maiden: There is No TTP Afghanistan, the closest thing to that is Mullah Nazir's troops. TTP has vowed allegiance to Mullah Omar and Afghanistan, but they fight their own internal battles against the Pakistani Military and foreign occupation forces. For anyone who does not understand there are occupying forces in Pakistan, they should ask what the 800 intelligence agents were doing there and why 1600+ were approved to be deployed after the Abbottabad raid. Pakistan is being occupied by spies. The US goal is to get all four groups fighting with each other, TTP, Haqqani, Hekmatyar and Afghan Islamic Emirate Talibs. Divide and conquer. If all the groups are fighting it justifies the need for the continued presence of foreign troops in the country.
Rather than TTP fighting with Haqqani fighters in NWZ, it would be better to unite until foreign forces leave Paki and Afghani soil, then settle internal problems. This is something Mullah Omar understands, which is why he tolerates Hekmatyar and Haqqani forces living in Afghanistan. There, they all fight the occupying forces, which is better jihad as Muslims. May Allah preserve and protect al mu'mineen!
@Jawad Which is why you need to make sure all exits are closed before you invade north waziristan. and you keep the people in camps on wazirstan's borders and keep them from leaving the area. If we could host million of Afghans we can obviously deal with one little agency. Better yet you shoot everything that moves, problem solved. If it worked for the Russians in Chechnya, it should work for us. You cant keep kissing upto the tribes, you cant keep giving them concessions, you cant keep worrying about the caring for the refugees, they ceased being the state's responsibility when they sided with the Taliban. And as for DP, and the mullahs,in a sane country they'd be locked up, fifth columnists all of them. If the army had maintained the momentum on the Taliban and invaded North Waziristan they wouln't be on the backfoot worrying about whether to prioritize protecting politicians or fighting the the enemies of the sate, would they?
You dont need to win any hearts and minds, all you need to do is kill until the enemy submits.
How many times will this guy die? :s
@Noise: Mr Noise the problem is that from where we will get a national census for that? Last time when Army wanted an Operation then ANP, PPP, MQM and PMLN were with the Army but Jamaat e Islami and Imran Khan vehemently went against it. Now a days both Dafae Pakistan , Jamaat e Islamic and Imran Khan are in vogue and they will again beat the drum of Peace talks with them and there will be no census again. Secondly the people like Imran Khan then have to beef up their security at the same time as Imran and some other politicians because of lack of security could be easy targets of Taliban if they support the action against the rogue elements. So unless a unified census could not be achieved it is very very difficult. Also if someone can protect Karachi, Mianwali, Dera Ismail Khan and Chakwal from their influx and regrouping then it is fine otherwise this could spiral out of control as locals could fall under their control and just like ANP have used their power to get a power share in Karachi i reckon in a similar manner ANP will try to make gains deep inside Punjab and they will ultimately become the majority from minority and then no one can dare to say anything against them and majority of Pakistani cities will fall under their control. The problem is that even those people who will be affected in operation when migrate in other regions they will never integrate rather they will try to gain ground by extortion and illegal encroachments and will not integrate and will try to alienate the locals from their own very lands. The reason is Race supremacy issue is another problem especially in People of North West and how this could be tackled with the influx of these people in other cities?
@adeel:
Really? Unfounded anti-US obsessed bogeyman and conspiracy is all you have?
US Drones (or CIA) killed Baitullah Mehsud, the last TTP leader, and tried killing Hakimullah Mehsud earlier, but were unsuccessful. But irrationally CIA and TTP are linked...maybe because they're 3 letters long and probably easier to understand twisted fantasy commonality like that in some ignorant and deluded minds, instead of facts or evidence in reality that suggest otherwise.
The same US drones Pakistanis protest against, more than suicide bombings. And then hypocritically absurdly claim TTP isn't being hunted by US drones due to CIA links. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Ridiculous. What next in the infinite list of bogus Pakistani conspiracy claims? Pakistani backed Hafiz Saeed and Haqqani 'Sahib' network also exist with CIA 'consent'?!
@Jawad The tribes have already turned their guns on the country, the situation cant really get any worse. Its better to be decisive rather than indecisive, otherwise the enemy takes the initiative and puts you on the backfoot. The only way to deal with these tribes is total war. Only by crushing the tribes hope and pride will you bring peace.
I dont think they teach modern armies history since they cant seem to handle foes like the Taliban, the only way you can win against them is to go old school. You need to break their will and endanger their very existence.
@Khan: Well it is not as easy as it seems. First of all in Waziristan there are estimated 10,000 fighters and they live on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. So when Pakistani Army will try to attack them they will run into Afghanistan and there are many friends of Pakistan in Afghanistan ready to equip them again to infiltrate back in Pakistan to prolong war. Secondly Waziristan is very close to urban regions of KPK and any problem there could spill out to other regions. So the region is so much porous that Army have a device a strategy and have to do a lot of work to end this menace for good. The most damning problem is that Wazir tribes live in Karachi, Mianwali and Chakwal regions as well and obviously these fighters will run and hide in these cities and then the situation will be more troublesome as Tribal affinity will tend to help these terrorists and they could turn their weapons against locals then and Talabnization could swell into Karachi and Punjab then. Already there are many problems in Chakwal and Mianwali where these thugs from Waziristan are harassing local men and women and abducting them for ransom and even establishing Madressas and now snatching farm lands and military is doing nothing.
So a lot more work is needed to be done before any action can be taken.
Why don't Pak Army go into NW to settle this once for all. Is NW not on Pak?
@maiden: IT is an Indian sponsored Terror agency called "TTP", just like Mukti Bahni in East Pakistan at that time!
“TTP meeting is in consent with CIA, so why drone attack on them?”
“It seems the militant organizations in Pakistan will eliminate the existence of our country in near future. What a pity.”
Terrorist organizations like the TTP have caused too much damage to the region and particularly to the nation of Pakistan for anyone to use conspiracy theories to avoid holding them responsible. Our sacrifices in the region clearly prove our stance against terrorism. The U.S. strongly condemns all acts of terror and encourages Pakistan to go after the elements responsible for threatening and destabilizing the country. Conspiracy theories have followed us all along like a shadow, but the time has come for us to realize that we face a common threat in the form of terrorism, and continue to be targeted at the hands of the same terrorists. These same terrorists have the audacity to claim responsibility for their crimes, but it’s our failure to acknowledge the obvious that offers them leeway and encouragement to commit more crimes. Some of the concerns voiced by the readers on this thread in regards to the terrorists destroying Pakistan cannot be overlooked. These terrorists cannot be allowed to continue spreading damage at the same rate. A safe and stable Pakistan is imperative to the stability of the region. And that’s the reason you see our government regularly emphasize the importance of working together to combat terrorism.
where is the correspondent name..why do the hide the name in such news pieces..spreading thrillers but hiding names..take the responsibility for this news piece..
sadly to see the name of IK. I think it is not correct
this is False. its a tactical statement by ISI for further moves.
no, no, pakistan is safe for international cricket!
@vasan: incorrect answer
your call my dear Area SHOs
It seems the militant organizations in Pakistan will eliminate the existence of our country in near future. What a pity.
What happened to the CIA ? Why no Hellfire Missiles while this crucial meeting was going on???
@ Hamda imam just cursing is nt enough
Why will these terrorists attack Imran khan, who is against opening the supply line.
An extract of the intelligence report states that Mehsud convened a meeting with several senior commanders of TTP, Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan and Al-Qaeda in North Waziristan Agency in the second week of February.
Taliban are now strong enought either to conven a meeting in February 2012, or long late enough to be held in Feb 2013. Amazing, is it not.
@Hamda imam: "Dont worry we knows that You are not pakistan’s strategic assets"
You gave the game away when you made that statement.
@Hamda imam: Can you please name their masters.
But Pakistani Taliban are own brothers and they have no connection with the Afghan Taliban, So why are they against re-opening of NATO supply? This is what Imran Khan says but Oyee Imran Khan name is also there, Let's see if Imran Khan stop him calling these killers our own brothers!
TTP meeting is in consent with CIA, so why drone attack on them?
i am sure the Bangladeshi will feel very "safe" when entering Pakistan to play their matches after hearing this welcoming news!
These TTP cowards will continue to attack civilians and innocent people no matter what. The parliament should do as they deem fit since they are the elected representatives of the people. They cannot bow to the extortion of criminals like the TTP who are working for foreign masters and who have killed countless innocent civilians.
After the Bannu prison escape, the TTP is empowered now. Let us what Pakistan does now.
If this intelligence isn't enough to do something in the area, nothing will be. If you don't think those plans consider the whole population of Pakistan as acceptable collateral in advance... Insert intelligence related derogatory statement here. Also, even if you aren't in favor of the route reopening but still think it's an appropriate response to it, you're insane.
Please no drone attacks while the TTP meeting of commanders is in session. Pakistan is totally against drone attacks. Duh.