Cross-border attack of Pak and Afghan: Security forces kill 11 militants, regain control of Bajaur

An overnight operation by security forces and local lashkars against a cross-border attack in Bajaur Agency ended on Friday when the army regained control of the area.

Several hundred militants had crossed over from Afghanistan and occupied three villages in Bajaur Agency.
Express 24/7 correspondent Iftikhar Firdous reported that security forces regained control of the Bara Mokha, Sarkai and Mano Zangal villages after a successful operation in which 11 militants were killed.
Three men from the lashkar and one security official were also killed in the operation against militants. Officials said that the death toll is likely to rise.
Updated from print edition (below)
15 killed in cross-border attack in Bajaur Agency
Several hundred militants crossed the border from Afghanistan to Bajaur Agency on Thursday, resulting in hours of clashes that killed 15 people.
The dead included nine militants, three lashkar volunteers, a soldier and two women, sources said. However, government official Muhammad Ilyas Khan told AFP that 17 people had been killed, including three women, while three children had been injured.
The attack, close to Afghanistan’s Kunar province, occurred when around 300 militants attacked three villages at around 4:00am. “Tribesmen from the local lashkar (militia) joined paramilitary forces and the army artillery pounded shells,” Khan said. Following the attack, security forces were deployed in the area.
The militants eventually fled and the firing stopped around 1.00 pm, local government and security officials said. Security sources put the number of attackers around 200.

Pakistan would become fourth largest nuclear state at the end of this decade

Pakistan would become fourth largest nuclear state at the end of this decade, A US website, The Huffington Post reported.

The website claimed that the world's five original nuclear weapons countries have all suspended production of fissile materials for new weapons and are negotiating cuts in their nuclear arsenals. But Pakistan is steadily building more nuclear weapons, adding production capacity to produce plutonium and enrich uranium, and building new missiles to deliver nuclear warheads.

It further claimed that the nuclear risks in Pakistan are three-fold: its non-proliferation record is poor, there are concerns about the security of sensitive nuclear materials, and there is no sign of a slowdown in its nuclear weapons drive. A global response needs to be calibrated to address all three of these potential threats.

Former UN weapons inspector David Albright, reported that Pakistan appears to be building a fourth plutonium reactor at the Khushab complex, and is expanding plutonium separation capabilities at another site. 

Another report, from a US think tank, says Pakistan now has 70 to 90 nuclear warheads, more than its rival India. This puts Pakistan on track to command the world's fourth-largest nuclear weapons arsenal by the end of the decade.

The evidence suggests that Pakistan is trying to develop a second-strike nuclear capability. Pakistan has tested cruise and other missiles that can carry strategic warheads from land or even from submarines.
North Korea and Pakistan also continue to partner each other such as in matters of missile and uranium enrichment technologies.

Pakistan is not party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT. In other words, the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to provide comprehensive safeguards is limited. 

The existing three Pakistani nuclear reactors at Khushab require more than 40 tons of uranium annually.

Pakistan’s recent testing of NASR or Hatf-9

Pakistan’s recent testing of NASR or Hatf-9 short range missile, coupled with its rapidly growing stockpile of low-intensity nuclear weapons,

suggests that it is actually preparing to cross the nuclear threshold in case ofa conflict with India. One of world’s most authoritative voices on
Pakistan’s nuclear strength and American nuclear expert Hans Kristensen said that a nuclear-tipped NASR seemed more like a weapon intended for use against Indian forces advancing into Pakistani territory. “While that wouldn't threaten Indian survival in itself, it would of course mean
crossing the nuclear threshold early in a conflict, which is one of the particular concerns of a short-range nuclear weapon,’’ said Kristensen, who is also Federation of American Scientists’ Nuclear Information Project director. While the 60-km short range of the nuclear capable missile doesn’t threaten the security of any major Indian city, it certainly makes the Indian army and security forces vulnerable in case India

does try to implement its much talked about Cold Start Doctrine, which entails making deep and precise incursions into Pakistani territory in the event of another Mumbai-like attack. 

 

Pakistan clearly seems to be raising the game considering that India will indeed be under pressure to destroy terror camps in Pakistan in the event of another state sponsored terror attack on India. “A NASR would have to drive all the way up to the Indian border to be able to reach important targets in India. Amritsar would be one candidate, as would several smaller cities along the border.

But that would also expose the missile to counter attack,’’ Kristensen said as he emphasized that with its rangeof only 60 kilometres, the multi-tube NASR system is not intended to retaliateagainst Indian cities but be used first against advancing Indian Army in abattlefield scenario. Kristensen had earlier described Pakistan’s production of Hatf-9 as a worrisome development for South Asia and for efforts to prevent nuclear weapons from being used.

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