Polish President Among Scores Killed In Plane Crash: officials

MOSCOW: Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife died Saturday along with 130 others when their plane crashed while coming in for a landing in western Russia, officials said.

The governor of the Smolensk region, where the crash took place about 11 a.m. (0700 GMT), said no one survived.

“The Polish presidential plane did not make it to the runway while landing. Tentative findings indicate that it hit the treetops and fell apart,” Sergei Anufriev said on state news channel. “Nobody has survived the disaster.”

The Polish foreign ministry confirmed that Kaczynski and his wife were aboard the plane.

The head of Russia’s top investigative body, Sergei Markin, said there were a total of 132 people on the plane, a Tu-154.

Kaczynski was flying to Russia for events marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre of thousands of Polish officers by Soviet secret police in Katyn and elsewhere during World War II.

The presidential plane was a Soviet-built Tupolev TU154M, at least 20 years old. The Army chief of staff, Gen. Franciszek Gagor, National Bank President Slawomir Skrzypek and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Kremoer were on the passenger list.

Four Militants Killed In Malakand Raid

MALAKAND: Four militants were killed in security forces operation in Halai area of Malakand on Tuesday. In a search operation in Koza Banday the forces detained more than 100 suspects.

The troops on a tip off presence of the militants at a hillock of Halai, cordoned off the hill. The militants opened fierce firing at the forces and four of them were killed in counter attack.

The troops also captured large quantity of munitions in the raid.

15 Militants Killed In Renewed Swat Clashes

MINGORA: At least 15 militants have been killed in fresh clashes with security forces in Swat reported Thursday morning.

According to Swat Media Center, Abu Faraj – a top militant commander, among eleven terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Segaram area of Kabal tehsil. One security personnel was also wounded in the clash, it was reported.

Meanwhile, another militant commander identified as Alamgir was killed along with his father during a clash with forces in Barthana area of Matta tehsil.

Two corpses – one was identified as of local militant commander Zakir and other of an unknown militant, were found earlier Thursday in Babu area of Kwazakhela and Peochar, the SMC claimed.

Security has been beefed up throughout the district and a massive search operation was being carried out in various areas following a suicide attack that targeted a local MPA’s residence in Mingora two days ago. Near two hundred suspects have so far been detained in the operation and were being interrogated, it was reported.

Two Militants Killed In Kurram Operation

Parachinar: Two militants were killed, two wounded and three arrested in a search operation in the Kurram tribal region on Wednesday.

In the Khyber Agency forces arrested nine militants have destroyed six shelters and three car bombs.

Warplanes and helicopter gunships were targeting suspected hideouts of miscreants in the central region of Kurram Agency.

61 Militants Killed In Khyber

ISLAMABAD: At least 61 militants were killed and 87 others, including locals, Uzbeks and Afghans, were arrested during the ongoing search operation in the Khyber tribal region, FC commandant Brigadier Fayyaz told a press conference.

At the press conference in Bara tehsil, Brigadier Fayyaz said security forces cleared most parts of the tehsil and the current operation in the area was successful.

Security forces also recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition. They also destroyed 27 vehicles, ten hideouts and five tunnels. Brigadier Fayyaz said.

Eight Militants Killed In Khyber Fighting

LANDI KOTAL: Security forces killed eight militants in fighting in Khyber tribal region on Friday. A security man was killed and three others injured in a remote-controlled bomb attack, sources said.

The militants attacked Gandhao checkpost in Khyber region. The troops in counter attack killed eight militants.

Moreover, a convoy of the security forces was attacked with remote-controlled bomb in Shen Kamar area in the vicinity of Bara, in which a security man was killed and three others were injured, sources said.

Eight Militants Killed In Swat Operation

Mingora: Eight militants were killed in security forces operation in the Char Bagh area of Swat Valley on Saturday.

According to sources, the forces have captured a large quantity of arms and ammunition from the militants in the attack.

The search for strength and clean-up operation has been in Kabal, Matta and other highland areas of Swat.

Six Terrorists, 12 Soldiers Killed In Operation

ISLAMABAD: During the past 24 hours, six terrorists have been killed while 12 soldiers were martyred and two others wounded in Operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan.

According to ISPR press release, in Jandola – Sararogha Axis security forces successfully secured major feature point 5376, 3 kilometers north of Ahmed Wam.

Exchange of fire took place between security forces and terrorists Ahmed Wam, in which two soldiers were martyred and two others wounded, while they killed 6 terrorists. Khawasai cleaning operation is in progress.

In Shakai – Kaniguram Axis security forces carried out a search operation in the area around Torwam, said compounds, and recovered weapons and ammunition cache. Ten soldiers were wounded because of collaboration with terrorists Langar Khel yesterday succumbed to his wounds.

The Razmak-Makeena Axis security forces have fully secured the area to marobio Makeena Raghzai.

Security forces said Rogha’s buildings and Khoni Mir. The terrorists fired rockets on Camp Laghr Razmak Manza, which were answered by the forces effectively.
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Meanwhile, security forces arrested Ali Qamar wanted terrorist operation in Shangla Rah-e-Rast in Malakand.

Security forces in charge of the search operation in Shalpin, Amankot, Ghalagai and detained three terrorists. Up to I0, 946 have issued cash cards to displaced families Waziristan.

Yemen Says 44 Rebels Killed In Air Attacks

SANAA: Yemeni warplanes killed at least 44 Shiite rebels in a series air strikes near the Saudi border, a senior government official here said. The insurgents, however, claim the dead were civilians.

Mohammed Abdelallah al-Qawsi, deputy interior minister, said 27 of the rebels were killed by a strike on a rebel hideout in an abandoned hospital in the small town of Razeh.

The rebels, however, said the hospital was still functional and those killed inside were civilians.

“This is another lie by the government, all those who were killed were innocent civilians,” said rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdel Salam by telephone.

The Yemeni army maintained rebels were shooting at the army from the hospital.

The international aid group, Medecins Sans Frontieres, said Razeh hospital was a fully functioning facility when they evacuated their staff from it Thursday.

The Yemeni army has been embroiled in a five-year conflict with rebels in the northern province of Saada that erupted when Shiite fighters took up arms against the central government, complaining of neglect and the widening influence of hard-line Sunni fundamentalists.

Shiites make up 30 per cent of Yemen’s population of 22 million.

The fighting, which has displaced about 150,000 people since 2004, flared up again in August, with rebels capturing an army post on a strategic highway between the capital and the Saudi border.

Killed Top Taliban Commander In Swat

PESHAWAR : Pakistan’s army Wednesday said it had killed a top aide of fugitive pro-Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah, as they continued their hunt for militant chieftains in the northwest valley.

Nisar, also known as Ghazi Baba, one of 15 Swat insurgents commanding a 10 million rupee (120,000 dollar) bounty offered by authorities in May, was killed in a clash just outside Swat’s main town Mingora on Wednesday, the army said.

“Nisar, alias Ghazi Baba, was killed in an encounter. His son was arrested by the security forces,” Mushtaq Khan, a spokesman for the army-run Swat Media Centre, told AFP by telephone.

Another security official based in the area said that a pre-dawn operation was launched in Matta town, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) northwest of Mingora, the main hub in the one-time tourist paradise of Swat valley.

The Taliban were not immediately available to confirm the death, but residents in Matta told AFP by telephone that they had seen Baba’s corpse.

“We have seen his dead body. It was later taken by the security forces,” a resident said, requesting anonymity for fear of militant reprisals.

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