Pakistan kills 50 miscreants

News.com.au:

PAKISTANI troops killed more than 50 Taliban militants after fighting off an attack on a military fort in a troubled tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

The clash occurred near the town of Ladha in the rugged South Waziristan tribal district, where thousands of Pakistani troops are deployed to fight al-Qaida and Taliban militants.

"More than 50 miscreants were killed in the attack and an unknown number were also injured," a senior security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Chief military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said the militants suffered "heavy casualties in the encounter" but said he had no official figures yet.

The fighting erupted late Wednesday night, just hours after thousands of armed tribesmen met at Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, to hunt down those involved in killing members of a tribal peace committee last week.

The tribesmen blame those killings on Baitullah Mehsud, a leading Taliban warlord, who has also been accused by the Pakistani government of masterminding the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto last month.

Military sources said those who mounted the attack on the fort were mainly followers of Mr Mehsud. There was no immediate comment from local Taliban sources.

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Perhaps the Taliban spokesman was among the miscreants. I would not be surprised if the "tribesman" gave the Pakistan army information on the location of the miscreants. Mehsud is already getting some payback for his murder of the tribal leaders. He should expect the army to get more actionable intelligence on his operations in the future. This area may become Pakistan's Anbar.