Saturday morning roundup
The Pakistani army has recaptured the town of Kotkai, Hakimullah Mehsud's hometown and a strategically important area in South Waziristan.
Army officials didn't provide any details on the fighting in Kotkai, and the area is closed to journalists. At least 160 militants and 23 soldiers have reportedly died since the South Waziristan offensive began one week ago.
Kotkai is on the way to Sararogha, reportedly a major Taliban stronghold.
Pakistani forces briefly captured Kotkai earlier this week, but were repelled by Taliban fighters a few hours later.
Iraq: Al-Sistani warns of election delay
A top aide to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani warns that Iraq will fall into chaos if the elections scheduled for January 16 are delayed.
During a Friday prayer sermon in Karbala, Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalaie said a delay "will lead to political and constitutional vacuum and security chaos."
The Iraqi parliament failed to pass a new election law last week. Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene on Sunday to give it another try.
An aide to populist Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr made a similar demand during a sermon yesterday, calling for "a speedy withdrawal" U.S. troops from Iraq.
Pakistan: Drone strike kills 18
A suspected U.S. drone strike killed at least 18 people in Bajaur. The drone was reportedly targeting a Taliban shura.
Local sources tell Dawn that Maulvi Faqir, the deputy chief of the Tehrik-e-Taliban, left the meeting just 10 minutes before the attack.
Bajaur is in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas; the region is along the Afghan border, just west of the Swat valley.
Other headlines
Brig. Gen. Omar Ali al-Issa, an officer in the Yemeni army, was killed by Huthi rebels yesterday in an ambush in the northern Saada province. Al-Issa headed an infantry division that is fighting the rebels in Saada.
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Categories: News Roundups
Tags: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, drone strikes, Huthi rebels, Kotkai, Maulvi Faqir, Taliban, Tehrik-e-Taliban, Yemeni insurgency
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