The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan (TTP), an al Qaeda ally, captured more than 20 Pakistani police Levies outside the northwestern provincial capital of Peshawar, after launching a series of assaults on checkpoints outside of the city. Reports indicate that between 20 and 30 policemen were captured and eight were killed during the raids. From Reuters:
At least 22 men were missing, two had been killed and one was injured after militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and rifles launched the overnight attacks, said Naveed Akbar, a regional official whose remit covers the Levies, or tribal force, units.
Other Pakistani officials said at least 30 men had been taken, a figure echoed by Taliban spokesmen.
Eight of the paramilitary soldiers have been killed, Taliban spokesman Mohammed Afridi said in Khyber agency, or region. He said the group had captured 30 soldiers. Another spokesman, Ihsanullah Ihsan, said 33 were taken.
If the past is any indication of the future, it won’t end well for the captive policemen. The Taliban publicly executed the last two groups of Pakistani soldiers and policemen who were captured. In June 2012, the Taliban beheaded a group of 17 Pakistani soldiers who were captured in Dir. And in June 2011, dozens of policemen were captured and subsequently executed via firing squad.
Updated on Dec. 30, 2012
This was all too predictable. The Taliban has executed 21 of the 23 captured policemen.
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8 Comments
for a region in the throes of winter the ‘insurgency’ seems pretty active
The only way that these astonishing assaults can keep on occurring is if they are being aided by duplicitous Pakistanis.
When you consider just how toothless these recruits become, after training; one wonders why they’re a target at all.
Is this a cynical way for Islamabad to portray themselves as ‘in the fight’ against the islamists in the FATA?
As a practical matter, frontier troopers never interfere with ISI’s pawns in any event.
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Pakistan, itself, seems to be reaching pre-revolutionary torment.
In which case, this vicious gambit may be some play for internal positioning that outsiders are unable to fathom.
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It’s a pretty good bet that the islamists in the FATA are not happy with Islamabad’s decision to take the money — and to open up the Khyber Pass.
Perhaps, they don’t understand their true economic function.
I can safely say this won’t be a happy ending. The Taliban will film the execution of these police officers and then put it on jihadi websites. The Taliban will have no incentive in keeping them alive, unless it’s a prisoners swap. However they’ve never done a prisoners swap with policemen, because the police are considered number 1 enemies and also even if they want to release prisoners, the Taliban could simply put a siege on a prison in Pakistan and the security guards would run like rats and the Taliban prisoners would be free. Also that would be recorded once again and put on the internet.
Where is the outrage from the families of these under prepared, under supported government forces?
Also, how can pakistan hold it’s head up anywhere in world affairs when it’s government forces are able to be overrun, snatched, and turned into bloody, whimpering, brutal jihadist propaganda, not only within it’s borders, but in the vicinity of major population centers? Pakistan needs new leadership, to drop off the world stage for a couple years, and clean up their own back yard.
Just don’t burn any Qurans, THEN we’ll get angry.
From what I’ve read, they’ve killed the hostages.
Is it me, or are they stepping up their activities again?
The latest news is that all of them have been killed.
From an article on NBC.com—–
“Earlier Sunday, 21 tribal policemen believed to have been kidnapped by the Taliban were found shot dead in Pakistan’s troubled northwest tribal region, government officials said.”