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Description
The Pakistani army had prevented the Taliban from launching their post-Ramadan offensive into Afghanistan by invading North and South Waziristans on Oct. 7. They managed to set up a counter engagement by stirring their network in the Swat Valley, which took the pressure off the Waziristans. Musharraf's Nov. 3 move had distracted the army. As a result, several villages and towns in the Swat Valley, only a drive of four hours from Islamabad, later fell to the Taliban without a single bullet being fired. The Taliban have since secured similar successes in the north-western Afghan province of Farah and the south-western provinces of Uruzgan and Kandahar, where districts have fallen without much resistance.
A new wave of attacks during the week was expanding the Taliban's grip in Afghanistan's south-eastern provinces of Khost and Kunar. And on Nov. 6, it was later said, the Taliban were responsible for the massive suicide attack in northern Baghlan province in which scores of people died, including a number of MPs. Most notable among the MPs was Sayed Mustafa Kazimi, the Hazara Shi'ite leader.
The... |
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