Pakistan: Airstrikes Kill 150 Militants in Tribal Lands

BY MUSHTAQ YUSUFZAI

Airstrikes by Pakistan’s military overnight killed 150 militants in the northwestern tribal regions near the Afghan border, Pakistani government sources said Sunday. Pakistan government forces said Uzbek militants were among those killed, but local Taliban sources denied that.

The airstrikes came a week after a deadly Taliban attack on the Karachi airport — which militant commanders said was aided by Uzbek jihadists.

The area where the airstrikes occurred is a remote tribal region and stronghold of the Haqqani network — part of Afghanistan’s Taliban. The same group claimed responsibility for the capture of U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl in June 2009.

In 2006, the Pakistani government signed a peace agreement with local Taliban in the area but since then foreign militants have come in.

After the Karachi attack, the Pakistan government told Taliban militants to expel the foreigners or face action.

Uzbekistan doesn’t share a border with Pakistan, but Uzbek militants have bases around the lawless areas straddling Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.

Uzbek militants also helped the Pakistani Taliban during its attack on Peshawar's airport last year.