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Pak seeks arms worth $2.5b
Turkish jets raid northern Iraq
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Militants storm court in Karachi, 2 killed
13 ultras killed in drone attack in Pakistan
UN appeals for Kyrgyzstan aid
Andhra techie shot dead in Detroit
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Pak seeks arms worth $2.5b
Pakistan has sought $2.5 billion-worth US arms on the ground that it needed them to effectively combat the Taliban and al-Qaida along the Afghanistan border. The inventory of Pakistan’s request includes new helicopter gunships, including AH-1W and the Apache-64-D, armed helicopters, such as the AH-6 and MD-530 Little Bird, and utility and cargo helicopters, such as the UH-60 Black Hawk, the CH-47 D Chinook and the UH-1Y Huey, according to Washington Times. Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said the US government was aware of its ally’s military equipment list. “The Pakistani military’s interest in additional list is well-known, and we have tried to help meet their needs by providing several Mi-17s. We will continue to try to help them acquire the helicopters and other equipment they require to defeat the insurgents and terrorists in their midst,” the paper quoted Morrell as saying. The Pakistani military list also includes a request for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), among the newest and deadliest high-tech arms. Pakistan’s military last year reversed its policy of signing cease-fire agreements with local tribal governors as it did in 2007 and 2008 in the regions. The new “silent surge”, however, has also cost the lives of thousands of Pakistani soldiers, including senior officers. According to Pakistan ambassador Hussain Haqqani, Pakistan has lost over 600 officers affiliated with the Inter-Services Intelligence, in addition to scores of other senior military officers in terrorist attacks. Pakistani military officials said their forces had just 26 combat and transport helicopters for a counterinsurgency war in a mountainous region where helicopters provide a critical advantage. Senator Carl Levin, Michigan Democrat and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told The Washington Times that he was waiting for an assessment from the State Department and the Pentagon before commenting on the Pakistani arms request. Senator John McCain, Arizona Republican and ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, voiced his support for meeting Pakistan’s request. “We ought to at least consider this request,” McCain said.
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Turkish jets raid northern Iraq
Ankara, June 19 Special forces were also immediately sent to reinforce the border area where the clashes occurred and Turkish warplanes bombed detected Kurdish rebel positions in northern Iraq the military said, without providing any further details. Fourteen other soldiers were wounded in the fighting, it said. Kurdish rebels have dramatically stepped up attacks in Turkey in recent months, threatening a government attempt to end one of the world’s longest guerrilla wars. The military said yesterday more than 40 soldiers had been killed since March, including six who died in a rocket attack on a vehicle near a naval base in southern Turkey, and warned it anticipated more attacks. Turkey’s military has responded by sending warplanes across the border for raids on suspected rebel bases while elite commandos crossed the border in pursuit of the rebels in a day-long incursion earlier this week.
— AP
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Militants storm court in Karachi, 2 killed
Karachi, June 19 Three attackers entered the city court complex, lobbing grenades and firing from their automatic weapons in which a constable was killed, Deputy Inspector General Iqbal Mehmood told reporters. The incident, which happened at 3.15 pm local time, triggered panic in the area as shopkeepers downed the shutters and ran for their lives. “The men emerged from the mosque inside the city court premises and attacked the police party who were escorting the four activists of the banned outfit. They resorted to indiscriminate firing and also threw three hand grenades causing explosions as they escaped from the court,” an eyewitness said. Later, a body of one of the suspected attackers was found near the court complex. His hands were blown off and the torso mutilated, witnesses said. Initially, TV channels had said that 10 to 12 armed men were involved in the attack but later police clarified that three persons carried out the storming. After freeing the four Jundullah members who had been brought to the complex to be produced in court, the attackers fled to the nearby Jodia Bazar, where they exchanged fire with police. Officials at the Civil Hospital said they had received four wounded persons. Doctors described the condition of two of them as critical. The olice surrounded Jodia Bazar, a congested market with numerous narrow lanes, and launched a search for the attackers. The four Jundullah members - Murtaza, Shakeeb Farooqi, Wazeer Muhammad and Murad Shah - were arrested on suspicion of involvement in bomb attacks on Shia processions in Karachi in December last year. Jundullah is claimed to be a group active in parts of Baloch dominated areas of Iran, bordering Pakistan. — PTI
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13 ultras killed in drone attack in Pakistan
Peshawar, June 19
At least three drones were seen hovering the area after the attack, local residents said. The sources said that most of the militants killed were "foreigners"- a term used by Pakistani security agencies for Al-Qaeda operatives. The nationalities of the victims or whether any high value targets were hit was not immediately known. This was the first major strike by US drones in the area since June 11, when the UAV's fired a volley of missiles to kill 13 militants. US drones have repeatedly struck the lawless tribal region, a haven for Taliban and Al-Qaida elements, since a suicide bomber linked to the Pakistani Taliban killed seven CIA operatives at a forward base in neighbouring Khost province of Afghanistan. Last month, Al-Qaida number three Mustafa Abu al-Yazid was believed to have been killed in a drone strike in North Waziristan. There have been about 70 drone strikes in North and South Waziristan this year. — PTI
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UN appeals for Kyrgyzstan aid
Osh, June 19 A day after Kyrgyzstan's acting leader Roza Otunbayeva admitted that the death toll from the clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks was probably 2,000, 10 times the official estimate of 192, residents of the ravaged southern city of Osh said fears were high of new unrest. As a senior US envoy prepared to meet with officials from Kyrgyzstan's embattled interim government, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton threw her support behind the Kyrgyz authorities' attempts to restore order and bring in aid. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the UN was launching a $71 million humanitarian appeal for Kyrgyzstan and that a separate appeal for neighbouring Uzbekistan, where tens of thousands have fled from the violence, would be instigated next week.
— PTI
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Andhra techie shot dead in Detroit Washington, June 19 Cuttamanchi was shot dead by a group of people in Southfield near Detroit on Wednesday around 2:00 am, the Telugu Association of North America said. The police have arrested all the five individuals, including the boy friend of the woman, who were involved in his killing. “Venkat Reddy met a 23 year old Mexican woman through Internet dating, had a meal at Wendy’s restaurant, and drove to a nearby EZ Rest motel around 2 am. The police was immediately informed by people who saw the shooting, who responded in no time and arrested all those involved in the homicide. Jayaram Komati, TANA president, and Mohan Nannapaneni, TANA secretary has expressed deepest condolences to Cuttamanchi family and urged the Indian American community to get familiar with safety and security guidelines that are available on its website. — PTI
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Thirteen bodies were pulled of the debris of the house and the death toll could rise, security sources said.