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I wonder if the US Central Command is up to date on who are friendly tribesmen and who are the true enemies of the Pakistan people and US government? US drone strike killed Mullah Nazir today …
Mullah Nazir orders out Mehsud Taliban fighters
WANA, NWT Pakistan (Dawn) Dec. 1, 2012 – Mullah Nazir, the main pro-government Taliban commander in South Waziristan, has ordered the Mehsud tribesmen and Mehsud Taliban fighters to evacuate the Ahmedzai Wazir area of the tribal agency, two days after a failed suicide attack targeting the powerful militant warlord.
The announcement was made following a grand jirga of the Mullah Nazir group, a 120-member 2007 peace committee of the Ahmedzai Wazir clan [pdf], the elders of all nine Ahmedzai tribes and their sub-tribes at main Rustam Bazaar market of Wana, the capital of South Waziristan.
Nazir was wounded when a suicide bomber exploded near his car at Rustam Bazaar, killing at least eight and injuring 17 others. It was unclear who was behind the attempt on the militant commander’s life, but Nazir has a long list of enemies.
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Pakistani warlord Mullah Nazir (C) talks to media representatives during a press conference in Wana,
the main town in South Waziristan tribal district. (AFP Photo)Announcements were made Saturday on loudspeakers in Azam Warsak, Karikort, Wana and Toikhula bazaar by Nazir loyalists, warning Mehsud Taliban fighters to leave their area by Dec 5 or face action. The group also asked all Mehsud tribesmen, who had taken refuge in the area being displaced as a result of an earlier Pakistan Army operation to cleanse the area of anti-government militants.
Nazir, an elder in the Wazir tribe, opposes Uzbek fighters and has had awkward relations with the umbrella Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) faction, which is dominated by members of the rival Mehsud tribe and lead by Hakeemullah Mehsud.
Tribal affairs and militancy expert Rahimullah Yousufzai warned earlier that Thursday’s suicide attack could spark a new wave of bloodshed in the restive tribal belt.
Drone strikes kills seven in Waziristan
Local unnamed political administration officials were quoted by the BBC Urdu website as saying that pro-government and anti-US Taliban leader, Mullah Nazir, was killed in the strike.
Mullah Nazir, also known as Maulvi Nazir Wazir, had signed a peace deal with Pakistani security forces in 2007 and was the top militant commander in South Waziristan. He was considered to be among the “good” Taliban as he preferred attacking US and allied forces in Afghanistan instead of Pakistani troops.
Hours after the attack that killed Nazir, three fighters of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan were killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan Agency. Commander Faisal Khan and two Uzbek fighters were among the dead.
Tribal leader Mullah Nazir spoke out AGAINST the TTP attack on schoolgirl Malala
A Taliban leader in North Waziristan Hafiz Gul Bahadur and another Taliban leader in South Waziristan Maulvi Nazir also expressed displeasure over the statements of Ehsanullah Ehsan against Malala. Maulvi Nazir expelled the leaders of IMU from South Waziristan two years ago because they were involved in crimes against the local tribes.
- See my recent diary – Pakistan Taliban Prisoner Release Part of Afghan Peace Plan.
