Egypt, Arab League condemn Israeli attacks in Syria

CAIRO: Egypt on Sunday condemned Israeli air strikes on Syria, with the Arab League also demanding that the UN Security Council act to stop what it called "Israeli attacks" against the war-torn country.

The Egyptian presidency said in a statement the air strikes "violated international law and principles that will further complicate the situation." The raids reportedly targeted rockets destined for Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Polling stations targeted in Balochistan blasts; NP chief attacked

QUETTA: Within the past 24 hours, four attacks took place at different locations in Balochistan province which were designated as polling stations for the upcoming May 11 elections whereas the National Party Chief Dr Malik Baloch narrowly escaped unhurt in a hand-grenade attack on his vehicle in Turbat area on the province on Monday.

At least three passers-by were injured when the vehicle of Dr Baloch came under a hand grenade attack.

Pak’s Punjab CM orders judicial probe into Sarabjit’s death

Pakistani authorities on Thursday ordered a judicial inquiry into the murder of Indian death row convict Sarabjit Singh. He died after being comatose for nearly a week following an assault by other inmates of Kot Lakhpat Jail.

Najam Sethi, the caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab province, ordered the judicial inquiry. He directed officials to ensure that the probe was completed in 15 days.

“Chief Minister Najam Sethi has directed the Home Department to prepare terms of reference for a judicial inquiry into the murder of Sarabjit Singh. The inquiry would be completed within 15 days,” a Punjab government spokesman said.

Hezbollah getting chemical arms: Israel lawmaker

Jerusalem: A former Israeli defense minister alleged on Monday that Syria's chemical weapons are "trickling" to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. It was the first such claim by a senior politician in Israel, but he did not supply evidence to support his assertion.

Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, a retired general who is now a lawmaker from the opposition Labor party, told The Associated Press: "The process of weapon transferal to Hezbollah has begun."

He told Israel Radio that he "has no doubt" that Syrian President Bashar Assad has already used chemical weapons and that that "these weapons are trickling to Hezbollah."

Taliban stop students from going to schools

MIRAMSHAH: Irritated by blockade of main artery of Miramshah in North Waziristan, the local Taliban Shura issued a ‘decree’ on Monday barring boys and girls from going to schools near the Cantonment area until security forces removed the barricades.

The Hafiz Gul Bahadur-led Shura warned parents not to send their children to five education institutions near the Cantonment area in Miramshah.

Clash in Bara leaves five soldiers injured

KHYBER AGENCY: Five security personnel on Tuesday were injured in clashes between security forces and militants in the Akka Khel area of Bara in Khyber Agency while security forces also defused five Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by militants to target them.

Official sources said that militants attacked security forces at about 1:30 am Tuesday morning which was then repulsed.

At least five security personnel were injured during the clashes.

Regarding the militants’ casualties, the FC spokesman, Major Fazl, said that the exact number was not known.

At least 57 killed in army assault in southern Syria: Watchdog

Six children were among at least 57 people killed in southern Syria as the army launched an all-out assault on two towns in Daraa province, a watchdog said on Thursday.

"At least six children, seven women, 16 rebel fighters, 16 other unidentified men and 12 army troops were killed on Wednesday, in fighting, shelling and summary executions waged after the army launched an assault on Al-Sanamein and Ghabagheb," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Fighting rages in Tirah Valley, 15 militants, one soldier martyr

PESHAWAR: Fifteen militants and one soldier was martyr on Thursday when the Pakistan military mounted another operation in a week of fighting designed to seize control of a remote but strategic valley in the northwest, the army said.

The Pak military has faced fierce resistance from the Taliban and its allies in the Tirah Valley in the Khyber region since troops set out to dislodge insurgents from strategically important heights above the valley six days ago.

Militants fire morats bombs in Peshawar’s Hayatabad area

PESHAWAR: Militants fired five mortar bombs from the Khyuber tribal region into Hayatabad Phase 6 area of Peshawar injuring seven persons on Tuesday.

Police officials talking to Dawn.com confirmed that seven persons including a woman were injured in the explosions.

Why Pakistan won't give up Hafiz Saeed

The problem isn't that they will just leave, but that they might abandon the region altogether. That will leave us alone with these thousands of militants to deal with without any international support"

This bold statement about Pakistan's militancy problem was given to me by a recently retired military officer in the Pakistan Army, who served at a key appointment during Operation Zalzala in 2008 in South Waziristan against domestic militants. According to another General of the Pakistan Army who was active in the Wana Operation against militants in 2004, Pakistan's basic counterterrorism policy has been fairly simple: "either kill the terrorists wherever they are found, or coerce them to support your cause against the other anti-state militants." It is under this lens that Hafiz Saeed, founder of the banned Lashkar-e-Tayyaba needs to be understood.

Pakistan's refusal to arrest Hafiz Saeed might seem confusing. A man carrying a 10 million dollar bounty on his head, and who has been charged by the United States and India for links to terrorism and hijacking, walks around freely in major city centers of Pakistan, is invited for television interviews, and now runs one of the country's fastest growing charity organizations, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). What is more confusing still is the fact that while the United States has placed a handsome bounty on his head, it has been fairly silent over the issue ever since, and hasn't been pushing the authorities in Pakistan to take any action against Saeed.

Mali troops sweep Timbuktu for Islamist rebels after battle

BAMAKO: Malian troops swept Timbuktu for remaining Islamist fighters after a weekend battle that left seven dead and forced France to dispatch reinforcements and fighter jets to help Mali’s army.

By late Sunday relative calm had been restored, after Islamist militants used the chaos created by a suicide bombing on Saturday night to infiltrate the city and engage French and Malian troops in a day-long battle that left four more rebels, a soldier and a civilian dead.

Nato containers torched in Balochistan’s Bolan district

QUETTA: Unknown militants torched five containers, carrying back Nato supplies from Afghanistan to Port Qasim Karachi, in Balochistan’s Bolan district on Monday.

Levies sources told Dawn.com that four motorcycle-riding militants opened fire on containers in Kambiri area of Bolan district adding that the drivers survived the attack.

Levies further said that the armed men set containers in fire after the drivers fled from the site.

General elections to be held on May 11: sources

ISLAMABAD – The general elections will be held on May 11, 2013,

This election will mark an end to the PPP-led government and the only democratic government to finish its term.

On March 17, the National Assembly stood dissolved on completion of its five-year term under Article-52 of the Constitution.

Raina replaces injured Shikhar Dhawan for final Test

ISLAMABAD: The top military brass resolved on Tuesday to continue the fight against terrorism.

The meeting, chaired by Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Khalid Shameem Wynne, was attended by Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Asif Sandila, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retd) Asif Yasin Malik, Chief of General Staff, Director General Joint Staff, Director General of Inter Services Intelligence, Director General of Strategic Plans Division and other senior military officers from the three services.

Four killed in Peshawar Judicial Complex suicide attack

PESHAWAR: At least four people have been killed and 27 others injured in a suicide attack at the Judicial Complex located on Khyber Road.

According to police terrorists tried to the enter the courtroom of Additional Sessions Judge Kulsoom Azam who was injured along with others as a result of firing which was followed by a suicide bomber detonating himself.