Free Republic

Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader thought killed in August strike in South Waziristan Unconfirmed reports from Pakistan indicate that the leader of the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan was killed during a US airstrike in South Waziristan in late August. Tahir Yuldashev, emir of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, is said to have been killed in a strike by an unmanned US aircraft in the town of Kanigoram on Aug. 27, 2009. The strike took place in a known stronghold of the Taliban forces under the command of Mullah Nazir. Eight Taliban fighters and Uzbek fighters were reported killed...

AFP via translation - Engagements between islamist in Pakistani tribal zone: at least 106 dead WANA (Pakistan) - the engagements between Uzbek and islamist militants islamist local who have lasted for Monday in the Pakistani tribal zone made at least 106 died, indicated Wednesday to the AFP of the persons in charge for the local services of safety. Among the victims 78 Uzbek militants and 28 buildings appear, and half of them were killed since Tuesday evening, added under cover of anonymity. The engagements began after a leader local taliban, mollah Nazir, rejoined with the authorities to expel the foreign...

"The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU – also called Islamic Movement of Turkestan – IMT) was formed in Tajikistan - with the help from the local authorities and, also importantly, with the Russian army and border guards keeping an eye on the process", the former members of the IMU living in Iran said to the Ferghana.ru journalists. When the United Tajik Opposition the IMU was an element of made peace with the secular authorities of Tajikistan, followers of the IMU were compelled to flee to Afghanistan via Outpost 4 where they were "assisted by Russian secret services". http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=75 "Men from...

Dramatic events are unfolding in Uzbekistan, where crowds of people have gathered outside government buildings in the eastern town of Andijan. Troops are said to be filling a nearby street and stadium, and some shots have been fired injuring protesters. Reports say three snipers firing on the crowd were pulled down from a roof by the angry crowd. During the night, gunmen stormed the city jail releasing possibly thousands of prisoners. The crowds are thought to be protesting against the trial of 23 Islamic businessmen on extremism charges. "The people have risen," AP news agency quoted Valijon Atakhonjonov, the...

KARACHI - As the Pakistan military establishment's pro-United States policies continue to receive harsh criticism domestically, Washington is now pressuring Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf to undertake yet another operation against foreign militants and their proteges in Pakistan's tribal regions of South and North Waziristan near the Afghanistan border. The most recent operation in South Waziristan kicked off two weeks ago and failed miserably, with the official figure listing about 50 of the Pakistan Army's officers and soldiers killed and no "prize targets" captured. Asia Times Online sources maintain the casualty figure is actually much higher. Now, Musharraf has been...

PESHAWAR: Pakistan risks more militant attacks as a result of its campaign to sweep Al Qaeda fighters from its remote tribal areas on the Afghan border, but analysts say a full-blown tribal revolt is not likely. Age-old rivalry between tribes, strong local traditions that made militant ideology less appealing, and government promises of development aid to tribal areas would make an uprising unlikely, they said. In recent weeks, Pakistan’s army has gone where it has never gone before and mounted a sweep through the semi-autonomous tribal lands where foreign Muslim fighters have been given shelter since the Afghan war in...