Home
News
In Focus
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Restaurants get off to a quick start thanks to game-changing policies
High service charges on event ticket refunds call for further regulation
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Taliban tells civilians to return but denies talk of a cease-fire
Source: Agencies |
May 26, 2009, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Taliban has urged civilians to return to the main town in Pakistan's Swat Valley, promising they won't attack security forces battling insurgents there but stopping short of calling the move a cease-fire.
The army has already ruled out halting its operation in the valley, saying such an announcement was a sign that the outnumbered insurgents were "staring defeat in the face."
Pakistan began the month-old offensive against militants in Swat and surrounding areas after they ignored the terms of a peace deal.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan framed the militants' decision to stop attacking troops in Mingora town as due to concern for the safety of civilians and property.
"I would like to appeal to the people of Mingora to get back to their homes and start their routine life as we will not fire even a single shot," Khan said in a phone call from an undisclosed location. Asked if that meant a cease-fire, he added: "No, this is not like that. Our aides will remain there in Mingora, but we will not attack, we will not fire shots."
The army says it has secured several major intersections in Mingora, an urban center that under normal circumstances has at least 375,000 residents. Many of the extremists were fleeing Mingora for Kabal, a town to the west, but security forces are trying to secure that locality as well.
Troops also have secured Malam Jabba - the site of a ski resort that militants wrecked last year - which the army said the Taliban was using as a training center and logistics base.
An army statement issued yesterday afternoon said that in the previous 24 hours, four suspected militants were killed and eight were arrested in the valley, while six security personnel were wounded.
In rejecting the Taliban's pledge to stop fighting, army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said the militants "have started using ploys to escape. They are now remembering the civilians whom they used to behead and decapitate."
He said the operation in the city would go on as planned. Commanders have said they aim to eliminate the militants in the valley and said last Friday any cease-fire was unlikely.
Close to 1.9 million civilians have fled the valley and surrounding districts, but up to 20,000 remain in Mingora.
A resident on the outskirts of the city said 3,000 people were stranded in his neighborhood and were suffering.
"We do not have anything to eat. We do not have water," said Liaqat Ali. "We do not have medicines. We do not have any doctor or any hospitals to go to."
The army has already ruled out halting its operation in the valley, saying such an announcement was a sign that the outnumbered insurgents were "staring defeat in the face."
Pakistan began the month-old offensive against militants in Swat and surrounding areas after they ignored the terms of a peace deal.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan framed the militants' decision to stop attacking troops in Mingora town as due to concern for the safety of civilians and property.
"I would like to appeal to the people of Mingora to get back to their homes and start their routine life as we will not fire even a single shot," Khan said in a phone call from an undisclosed location. Asked if that meant a cease-fire, he added: "No, this is not like that. Our aides will remain there in Mingora, but we will not attack, we will not fire shots."
The army says it has secured several major intersections in Mingora, an urban center that under normal circumstances has at least 375,000 residents. Many of the extremists were fleeing Mingora for Kabal, a town to the west, but security forces are trying to secure that locality as well.
Troops also have secured Malam Jabba - the site of a ski resort that militants wrecked last year - which the army said the Taliban was using as a training center and logistics base.
An army statement issued yesterday afternoon said that in the previous 24 hours, four suspected militants were killed and eight were arrested in the valley, while six security personnel were wounded.
In rejecting the Taliban's pledge to stop fighting, army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said the militants "have started using ploys to escape. They are now remembering the civilians whom they used to behead and decapitate."
He said the operation in the city would go on as planned. Commanders have said they aim to eliminate the militants in the valley and said last Friday any cease-fire was unlikely.
Close to 1.9 million civilians have fled the valley and surrounding districts, but up to 20,000 remain in Mingora.
A resident on the outskirts of the city said 3,000 people were stranded in his neighborhood and were suffering.
"We do not have anything to eat. We do not have water," said Liaqat Ali. "We do not have medicines. We do not have any doctor or any hospitals to go to."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
