பாகிஸ்தான் பகுதிகள் மீது பாகிஸ்தான் ராணுவம் குண்டு வீச்சு 200 பேர் பலி

இஸ்லாமிய பயங்கரவாதிகளுக்கும் பாகிஸ்தான் ராணுவத்துக்கும் நடக்கும் போரில் 150 இஸ்லாமிய பயங்கரவாதிகளும் 50 பாகிஸ்தான் போர்வீரர்களும் மரணமடைந்துள்ளனர்

195 die in Pakistan fighting rage
Tuesday, October 9, 2007 (Islamabad)

At least 150 pro-Taliban militants and 45 soldiers have been killed in three days of fierce fighting in Pakistan's restive North Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan even as the Army on Tuesday ruled out a ceasefire.

Though militants have persuaded elders to convene a jirga or tribal council to broker a truce, military spokesman Maj Gen Waheed Arshad said the army would not agree to a ceasefire and would continue its operations against the Islamic extremists.

About 13 security personnel have also been reported missing for the past two days. Local reports said about 50 civilians had died but this was denied by the spokesman.

''One hundred and fifty militants have been killed and 50 have been injured. Forty-five security personnel have lost their lives and 20 have been injured,'' Arshad told Dawn News channel.

Radio contacts had been re-established with most of the 50 soldiers who were reported missing since Monday though the army was still ''trying to re-establish contact'' with about 13 security personnel, he said.

Referring to the move by the rebels to send a jirga to negotiate a truce, Arshad said the militants had resorted to this move as they were ''under pressure and had suffered a lot of casualties because of their own acts of violence and lawlessness''.

''They have sent a jirga and are trying to ask for a ceasefire but the security forces will not agree to a ceasefire and will continue to take action as they deem necessary to make sure that the militants are brought to book,'' he said.