Teens Buried Alive in 'Honor Killings' Spark Pakistan Rage

Three troops also killed in firefight near Afghan border

(AP) - Pakistani security forces backed by helicopter gunships and jets killed 54 alleged militants in a much-contested region near the Afghan border, a government official said today. Three troops also died in the clashes. Pakistani troops were doing routine patrolling in the Mohmand tribal region when they came under attack, according to a deputy administrator in the region. The troops returned fire and killed 10 insurgents, but also called for backup in the air. More»

(NEWSER) - A reporter for the New York Times held by the Taliban for 7 months in the tribal regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan has escaped, the paper says. The Times kept David Rohde’s abduction secret out of concern for his safety and had been in sporadic contact with him and his captors. Last night, he and a local reporter climbed over the wall of the compound where they were held and were helped to safety by a Pakistani soldier. More»

Tribal areas become war zone as government steps up assault on militants

(NEWSER) - Pakistan's escalating confrontation with the Taliban has plunged the country into full-scale war, the New York Times reports. A quarter of a million people have fled the fighting as the Pakistani army attacks the militants in tribal areas on at least three fronts, and 20,000 have flooded in desperation over the border into Afghanistan. "This is now a war zone," warned a Red Cross spokesman. More»

(NEWSER) - Missiles launched by the US military struck a village in Pakistan's border region this morning killing at least six people, Pakistani officials told the Guardian. Two missiles were fired by a pilotless drone after it was shot at by tribesmen, reportedly striking the home of a local Taliban commander. The Waziristan region has been an increasing source of tension between the US and Pakistan as American forces have launched cross-border attacks against militants. US officials could not be immediately reached for comment. More»

Army officials hash out border problems

(NEWSER) - A group of top US and Pakistani military officials, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and David Petraeus, met in secret aboard an aircraft carrier Tuesday to discuss the deteriorating situation along the Afghan border, the New York Times reports. The US has been frustrated lately by the Taliban’s ever-growing capabilities—particularly across the border in Afghanistan—and Pakistan’s inability or unwillingness to drive them from its southern environs. More»