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Bomb blast in Pakistan hospital kills 12
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-08-19 16:45 In recent weeks, the military has battled insurgents in Bajur tribal region. On Tuesday, police said security forces backed by helicopter gunships and artillery pounded targeted insurgents in the area, killing 11 suspected militants and five civilians over a 24-hour period. Security forces expedited the shelling after militants attacked a paramilitary post near the Afghan border, said Fazal Rabbi, a police commander in Bajur. He said Tuesday he did not know if any of the paramilitary troops were killed in that attack. According to official figures released last week, the Bajur operation has killed nearly 500 people and displaced more than 200,000. Musharraf's departure as president was hailed by the Pakistani Taliban, who have longed despised the leader who allied the country to the United States in the war on terror. However, Maulvi Umar, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, said the president's exit, prompted by threats of impeachment from a ruling coalition consisting of his foes, would not satisfy the militants. Umar said the Taliban wanted an end to military operations against them, an indication the ruling coalition will continue to face attacks. |
