Four miscreants killed in Mardan

As many as four militant have been killed during an ongoing military operation in Mardan, Dunya News reported on Tuesday.
Security forces have nabbed over a dozen terrorists during an operation underway at the mountainous range of Buner and Swabi in Katlang since yesterday. Some four militants have been killed in fresh clashes.
The military resorted to heavy gunship besides Cobra choppers in the offensive.

Twin drone strikes kill 14 militants in N. Waziristan

NORTH WAZIRISTAN: Twin missile strikes, targeting militants’ compound in North Waziristan and District Datta Khel killed 14 militants on Wednesday, local security officials said.

A US missile strike on a militant compound in North Waziristan killed 10 militants on Wednesday, local security officials said.

The strike took place in Dandey Darpakhel village, five kilometres (three miles) northwest of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district.

“Ten militants were killed in the US drone strike on a militants’ compound,” a senior security official in the area told AFP, adding that the death toll may rise.

Separately, four militants were killed after three missile strikes targeted militants’ vehicle in Datta Khel district.

The vehicle was completed destroyed after the attack.

It was the fifth missile strike in the region

U.S. report ties militancy to Pakistan school woes

WASHINGTON: Pakistan”s poor public education system helps stoke militancy, while the religious schools, often cited as a cause of extremism, appear not to be a major risk factor, says a report by a Washington think tank.

The report, set to be released by the Brookings Institution on Wednesday, examined a raft of studies to assess links between militancy and education, a priority area for the Obama administration as it boosts development aid to Islamabad.

The researchers said low enrollment rates were a risk factor for violence and demand for education inside Pakistan far exceeded the government”s ability to provide it.

In addition, Pakistan”s public school system was highly corrupt with positions handed out for political favors and teachers paid whether they turned up for class or not.

“The way the education system is set up is contributing to support militancy,” said Rebecca Winthrop, with the Center for Universal Education at Brookings.

“Historically education in Pakistan has been used as a tool by successive regimes in pursuing narrow political ends,” she added.

The curriculum and teaching methods in public schools helped create intolerant views and also did little to prepare students for the labor market, frustrating youngsters and increasing the pool of militant recruits, the report said.

Winthrop and fellow conflict specialist Corinne Graff said the religious schools, or madrasas, that were frequently cited by the West as causing Islamist militancy, were not as numerous as suspected. Far less than 10 percent of the full-time, school-going population went to them.

“Madrasas account for a tiny fraction of student enrollment and they can hardly be cast as the main obstacle to high quality education and stability,” they wrote.

“The almost exclusive focus on madrasas as a security challenge — which is especially prevalent in the West — needs to be corrected,” the researchers added.

Education statistics in Pakistan are “sobering”, they said — just 54 percent of the population is able to read and 6.8 million children between the ages of 5 and 9 are not in school.

Less than a quarter of girls complete elementary school and only one-third of Pakistani children get a secondary education, with many dropping out.

“The data shows that lack of access to schooling is a risk factor for conflict or militancy. We know that Pakistan has extremely limited access (to education),” said Graff.

The Obama administration has promised to put more money into improving education in Pakistan and has made it a focus of the $1.5 billion in nonmilitary aid allocated annually by Congress for Pakistan over the next five years.

“Undoubtedly, a high-quality education system prepares its students to participate in and contribute to economic growth, which leads toward security and stability,” said Rajiv Shah, who heads the U.S. Agency for International Development.

“Improvements in education are critical to reducing violence,” he said in an email response to questions.

USAID”s total education budget in Pakistan for fiscal year 2010 is $335 million — with $265 million for basic education and the remainder for higher education. Since 2002, USAID has invested $682 million for education projects in Pakistan.

One way in which the money is being used is to offer stipends to families as a temporary measure to offset the cost of education for the poor.

The Brookings researchers cited problems with the curriculum in many schools, with historical facts altered and hatred toward archrival India and Hindus prominent in texts.

Shah encouraged Pakistan”s government to implement a new curriculum announced in 2007, which he said addressed many problems with previous content but had not been put in place.

For example, with the new curriculum, science and math were treated as secular subjects and Islamic studies was a stand-alone topic, he said.

Four militants killed in Swat

SWAT: Four militants were killed during security forces operation in different areas of Swat.

According to official sources, four militants were killed during exchange of fire between security forces and militants in Miandam area in tehsil Khawazakhela. Forces also recovered rifles, grenades and knives from their possession.

On the other hand, security forces in Peochar area in tehsil Matta killed a militant whereas unknown gunmen shot dead two persons in tehsil Kabal.

Killed In Charsaddah Four Militants

Security forces killed some four militants during a search operation in Charsaddah.
The security forces raided a house of one Jan Shah in Umar Zai and gunned down four militants during a clash, while as many security personnel got injured. The injured officilas have been shifted to the hospital.

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Killed In Charsaddah Four Militants was first posted on February 26, 2010 at 11:39 am.

Five Suspected Militants Killed,2 Soldiers Injured

TrendPK.com Five Suspected Militants Killed,2 Soldiers Injured:Five suspected militants were killed while two soldiers were injured during the military operation, Rah-e-Nijat, in South Waziristan during the last 24 hours.
Inter-Services Public Relations said Shakai sector security forces killed four militants including Abdul Ghafoor, at Mola Khan Sarai. One soldier was also injured [...]

Sixteen Militants and Two Commanders Sixteen Militants and Two Commanders Nabbed

MINGORA: Security forces arrested 16 terrorists including two commanders during last 24 hours as search and clearance operation underway in Swat and Malakand region, military spokesman said.

Local militant commander Muaz  and Jannat Gul were arrested from Fazaghat and Bajaurakalay along with 14 other militants, a military spokesman said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, four militants surrender before the troops, spokesman said.

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Sixteen Militants and Two Commanders Sixteen Militants and Two Commanders Nabbed was first posted on September 27, 2009 at 3:23 pm.
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