Islamic religious bigots attack kids in Pakistan

NY Times:

A suicide bomb attack on a military truck carrying schoolchildren outside a Pakistani Air Force base in northwestern Pakistan injured five children and two adults early today, military officials said. The attack came a day after a separate suicide bombing in northwestern Pakistan killed six civilians and one police officer.

The twin suicide bombings occurred as Pakistani military officials claimed victory this weekend in the Swat valley, a famed tourist area in northwestern Pakistan. After months of failing to act as small groups of militants seized control of lightly armed police posts and declared harsh Islamic law, more than 20,000 heavily armed Pakistani troops moved into the valley late last month.

This weekend, Pakistani military officials said they had successfully driven militants out of the valley's main towns, killed 290 insurgents and captured another 143 fighters. But they have so far failed to capture Maulana Fazlullah, the young cleric leading fighters in the area, who is believed to have fled into the nearby mountains. Foreign militants who have seized control of parts of Pakistan's tribal areas, a nearby region that lies on the border with Afghanistan, are believed to have aided local militants in Swat.

Pakistani military officials said this morning's suicide bombing could be in retaliation for the ongoing offensive. "There is resistance," said Lt. Col. Baseer Haider, a military spokesman.

"There might be a few people inside the towns and villages."

Col. Haider said that an unidentified individual rammed a car laden with explosives into a military truck carrying schoolchildren at 7:30 a.m. today outside the Pakistani Air Force base in Kamra, a town about 40 miles northwest of Islamabad. It is common in Pakistan for children who attend military schools to be transported there in military vehicles.

...

The Washington Times says that 98 percent of the Swat valley has been cleared.

Military authorities claim to have cleared Islamist militants from 98 percent of the Swat Valley, ending the extremists' deepest penetration into settled areas, but a suicide bombing yesterday highlighted the region's continued vulnerability.

An explosives-packed car blew up at a police checkpoint in the recently reclaimed village of Matta, killing six persons, including two children and two police officers, according to wire services. No group claimed responsibility, but the recently routed rebels were suspected.

Photos: Pakistan's Swat Valley

In a separate incident, three decapitated corpses were discovered nearby, and taken to Mingora, the largest town in the scenic valley, which was known as the "Switzerland of Pakistan" until it was overrun this year by militants who imposed strict Shariah law.

Military leaders announced on Saturday that they had reclaimed most of the valley after a two-week offensive that pitted 20,000 Pakistani troops against an estimated 5,000 insurgents loyal to a savvy pro-Taliban cleric.

"We have met a very good success, but I am taking this as an initial success only," said Gen. Nasser Janjua, who commanded the offensive. "I understand the threat is scattered, diluted."

...

Gen. Janjua said the army had killed 290 "miscreants" and captured 140. But military leaders acknowledged that up to 500 hard-core insurgents had disappeared into the nearby mountains, from where they can easily mount new attacks.

...

Why weren't those who escaped called miscreants too? Perhaps Pakistan should call this a counter miscreants operation. At any rate it is a victory Pakistan desperately needed and it is more bad news for the Taliban and its al Qaeda allies who are losing battles everywhere these days. It coincides with a hug offensive against Musa Qala in Afghanistan. The Washington Times also has a slide show with its story if you click here.