Pakistani Army abandons second fort, fearing jihadist takeover

Pakistani Army abandons second fort, fearing jihadist takeover

That'll show 'em. An update on this story. "Army 'flees second Pakistan fort'," from the BBC:

Pakistani troops have abandoned a fort in a remote tribal area, a day after another was overrun by pro-Taleban militants, officials and witnesses say.

They say that paramilitary personnel at Sipla Toi military post in South Waziristan left their positions fearing an attack by the militants.

But an army spokesman told the BBC he had received no such reports.

On Wednesday, the army said hundreds of militants temporarily seized a fort in the Sararogha area of South Waziristan.

'Open challenge'

Locals told the BBC that 30-40 troops had been stationed at Sipla Toi, some 90km (55 miles) from the town of Dera Ismail Khan. The outpost is nearly as big as the one at Sararogha.

"According to our reports, the troops abandoned the fort on their own. Some left last night, others went away this morning.

"There was no attack from the Taleban," a South Waziristan tribal administration official based in the town of Tank told the BBC.

A resident of the area said that the retreating troops had not left any weapons or ammunition behind.

A Taleban spokesman, Maulvi Umar, told the BBC Urdu service that militants had captured the Sipla Toi fort. But there was no independent confirmation of his claims.

South Waziristan is a known stronghold of pro-Taleban and al-Qaeda militants.

The region has been at the centre of fighting between the army and militants in recent months.

Correspondents say the militants are now openly challenging the army in the area bordering Afghanistan.

Suicide bombing kills 9 at Pakistani Shi'ite mosque

They're-Going-To-Have-To-Overcome-That Update. "Blast at Pakistan Shiite mosque kills 9," by Riaz Khan for the Associated Press:

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - A suspected Sunni extremist opened fire in a Shiite mosque Thursday and then blew himself up, killing nine people on the eve of a religious festival that has been scarred by sectarian violence in the past.

The blast in northwestern Pakistan wounded at least 20 people including a prominent Shiite cleric, adding to tensions in the country as it prepares for parliamentary elections Feb. 18 that many predict will weaken President Pervez Musharraf's grip on power.

[...]

Arshad Ali, whose brother died in Thursday's blast, said the attacker was a man about 18 years old who walked into the crowded Imambargah Qasim Baig mosque, opened fire with a pistol and then blew himself up.

"People present there tried to stop him," Ali said, wailing and beating his chest in grief. "He took out a pistol, shot three times and then blew himself up."

It was not immediately clear whether any of the dead or wounded were hit by the gunfire.

Peshawar police chief Tanvir Sipra said nine people were killed, including a policeman who tried to stop the bomber from entering the mosque. A few policewomen were wounded, he said.

Prominent Shiite cleric Syed Rza Shah, who was wounded in the attack, had traveled to Peshawar from Rawalpindi to address a gathering at the mosque, said Mohammed Iqbal, another police official. Shah's deputy, Kalb-e-Abbas, was among the dead.