majumdar,

BBC Urdu has three revolving radio broadcasts everyday with reports from correspondents on the ground. Don't believe the Pak newspapers, particularly the Engish language one. They're not allowed to publish anything not approved by Min of Info. The western press picks up the same stories.

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Zee sahib,

If BBC Urdu Radio is indeed saying that, then this must be true.

Regards

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majumdar,

The BBC Urdu Radio report by correspondents on the ground said that they could see a few soldiers around the mouth of the tunnel, but Taliban can be seen freely roaming around Darra Adam Khel and on mountains. The only resistance by army is by heli gunships, not soldiers on the ground.

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viqarm,

Disrupting civilian traffic is the least of their concerns. Half of the population of major S. Waziristan villages has already ben forced to leave their homes because of artillery shelling by the army, so it is a war-zone for both sides.

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Zee sahib,

From what I cud make out of the Dawn report, Pak Army is controlling the heights. But as they say in a war truth is the first casualty. It wud have been interesting if Amin sahib cud shed some light on the latest on ground position.

But in any case indirectly proof wud be available soon. If the IH is closed for any prolonged period of time it wud simply mean that the PTs are in control of Kohat heiights.

Regards

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Zee Sahib,
What happened to the Taliban's threat to blow up the tunnel?
Don't you think they are turning Pak public against them by disrupting traffic and commerce on the Indus Hwy? Or, they do not care?

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majumdar,

Well they couldn't have held the tunnel for long anyway. They must have known that. But now the Indus highway is completely shut down and Taliban have established positions around the Kohat Tunnel mountaintops. I think that was their objective.

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Zee sahib,

(I don't think they took control to blow it up)

In which case it looks like it was a tactical blunder on part of the PTs. For it seems the Army has already recaptured the territory. But looks like those four trucks full of explosives are gone with the PTs.

Regards

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majumdar,

Kohat Tunnel is the only link on the Indus Highway connecting Peshawar with the entire Southern NWFP. I don't think they took control to blow it up (otherwise they would have ... it was in their control for two days) but just to cut off the army's logistics link.

The only other route is through Kyber agency on the other side of Darra which is mostly unpaved and very long. And Khyber Agency is not exactly friendly territory either.

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majumdar,

Majumdar, this is the account of the BBC Urdu reporter Abdul Hai Kakar who accompanied Taliban in their camouflage vehicle while being pursued by a heli ginship around the mountains of Darra Adam Khel, where they took him to interview the 15 soldiers abducted by Taliban from the microwave station on top of Kohat Tunnel. The interviews were broadcast on BBC Urdu Radio where the soldiers said they didn't fire a single bullet because they don't want to fight Taliban, and if they survive, they will make sure none of their next generations joins the army. All these soldiers were Punjabis from around Guranwala.

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Zee sahib,

Can you breifly translate this into English? Thanks in advance.

Btw what is the situation like in Kohat. Shud the Paki Talibs (PTs) get control of Kohat wud they prefer to blow it up or keep control.

And what does Kohat Tunnel connect exactly. In case the tunnel is blown up what are alternative routes if any.

Regards

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Zeemax...no one gives a shit...I hope between the jihadis and the paki army there are equal casualties. May lullah give all of them jannat for killing each other and reward them each with 72 houris....who gives a fk really dude.

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It is indeed a cat and mouse game - as Pavo said on FP.

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