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Monday, October 26, 2009, Zhul-Q'ada 06, 1430

Taliban claim shooting down helicopter

Islamabad—A senior Taliban leader has claimed that the militants have shot down a military helicopter in Bajaur tribal region.

The military sources say that the helicopter crashed in Bajaur tribal region Saturday night and killed at least four security men.

Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, deputy chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the shooting down of the helicopter.

The Taliban leader speaking at his illegal FM radio station in Bajaur late Saturday night claimed the responsibility for the attack on the helicopter and announced a full scale war on the Pakistani forces.

A local tribesman in Bajaur said on phone that the Taliban leader asked the people to take guns against the Pakistani army or leave the area. He also claimed that 30 security men on board were killed in the helicopter attack.

Locals said that Maulvi Faqir narrowly escaped in a U.S. drone strike on Saturday which killed at least 14 Pakistani Taliban leaders. Officials said that the militants were holding a meeting in a bunker when two U.S. missiles hit the hideout. Faqir said his important men were killed in the U.S. strike at Damadola area, adding that TTP will also render more similar sacrifices in future.

According to local tribesmen, Umar Hayat, nephew and son in law of Maulvi Faqir was among those killed in the attack. Hayat was a prominent Taliban commander in Bajaur, locals said.

Troops have been fighting Taliban militants in Bajaur over the past two years and recently launched major offensive in Mamond area, a stronghold of Taliban militants in Bajaur.—NNI

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