Government officials in Pakistan claim they have destroyed a major militant headquarters in the restive Khyber tribal region on the fourth day of the paramilitary offensive against Islamist extremists.
The site belonged to the group Lashkar-e-Islam, who prompted the campaign by the paramilitary Frontier Corps after making incursions into the regional capital of Peshawar last week. Armed members of the group were reported to be roaming the streets of the city's wealthier districts and raiding surrounding villages.
The toD verdict: The Afghan insurgency has reached its deadliest levels since hostilities began in 2001, and pressure is mounting on Pakistan to provide better security in its tribal border region. But recent events show that Pakistan has its own problems to deal with, as militancy and lawlessness spread through the North-West Frontier Province and tribal areas.
The United States and Afghanistan are keen to draw a link between the growing militant Islamism in the Pakistani tribal belt and Taliban attacks across the border. NATO and its allies are increasingly frustrated by the Pakistani government's reluctance to take forceful action against Taliban sanctuaries in the area.
This latest offensive does not demonstrate a change of approach in Islamabad. Lashkar-e-Islam does not appear to have direct links to the Taliban. Rather, they are one of several outfits that have proliferated in the region since 2001, and the influx of militants that followed the US invasion of Afghanistan. By failing to check that influx at the time, the Pakistani government has allowed the region to descend into warlordism and sectarian violence. Rather than concerning themselves specifically with Afghanistan, they are looking to consolidate their position within Pakistan.
Despite the apparent successes of this latest offensive by the Frontier Corps, the fact that militants could operate at all within a major city like Peshawar shows how far militancy is spreading into the NWFP. That puts even more pressure on the troubled civilian government and further reduces the chances of successfully interrupting Taliban supply routes into Afghanistan.
Abkhaz rebels close border with Georgia
Separatists in Georgia say they will shut themselves off from the rest of the country following bomb attacks they blame on the government. Relations between Abkhazia rebels and the government in Tblisi have been deteriorating recently since Russia announced it was establishing official ties with the separatist movement in April. Abkhaz leader Sergei Bagapsh said the border with Georgia would be closed from today "for an undetermined period" following explosions in the regional capital of Sukhumi on Sunday, and two more in the town of Gagra. A total of 10 people were injured in the blasts. "The Georgian secret services participated in organising these explosions in Gagra and Sukhumi," Bagapsh said.
Abu Ghraib inmates sue military contractors
Former inmates of Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad are suing United States military contractors over claims they were beaten, threatened with dogs and given electric shocks during four years of imprisonment. If successful, it would be the first time that charges have been upheld against civilians involved with the notorious jail. The legal position of civilian contractors remains a hotly contested topic. One of the firms named in the case, CACI International, has dismissed the claims as "unfounded and unsubstantiated".
Israel shuts crossings to Gaza after alleged attack
Israel has shut down cargo crossings into the Gaza Strip following an alleged rocket attack by Palestinian militants into southern Israel. Local authorities have yet to find any remnants of the rocket, which Israel say was detected by radar on Monday night. Hamas claim Israel are simply looking for excuses to break the terms of the ceasefire that came into effect last month. Egyptian authorities today opened the Rafah crossing for two days to allow access for those stranded at the border, and for Palestinians needing medical attention.
