Mortal threat, says United States, as Pak troops rush to stop Taliban

Tightening their grip on Pakistan’s restive northwest, Taliban militants today attacked the Frontier Constabulary sent to stop their advance in Buner, just 100 km from Islamabad, and swept into Shangla, another district near the Swat Valley. One policeman was killed and another wounded in the attack in Buner while tension gripped Shangla after more than 30 Taliban fighters moved in and began patrolling a market in the area.

As US mounted pressure on Pakistan to act against the Taliban — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told lawmakers in Washington “I think the Pakistani government is basically abdicating to the Taliban and the extremists” while Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned that failure to confront the threat could affect US-Pakistani relations —Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said his government would consider “other options” to check the “Talibanisation”.

Swat’s militants have entered Buner in large numbers, establishing checkpoints, patrolling roads and spreading fear.

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Taliban storm Government buildings in heart of Kabul, kill 26

Taliban militants launched suicide bomb and gun attacks on Wednesday on three Afghan Government buildings, killing at least 26 people, in the worst and the most daring assault on the capital since 2001.

The Defence Ministry said eight suicide attackers also died in the near-simultaneous strikes on the prisons directorate, and justice and education ministries.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, told AFP in a telephone call that 16 suicide attackers had entered Kabul and would carry out a wave of strikes, as the violence sowed panic across the city.

“So far we have registered 26 people killed and 55 wounded,” Health Ministry spokesman Abdullah Fahim said. Most were civilians, he said.

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