At Least Six Soldiers Slain, Hostages Taken as Pakistani Army HQ Attacked

Insurgents May Have Been Targeting Gen. Kayani

by Jason Ditz, October 10, 2009

Following yesterday’s deadly bombing in Peshawar, the nation’s most important security city, Rawalpindi, was put on high alert citing non-specific intelligence reports.

Today those fears were confirmed as militants linked with the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) launched a bold attack against the Pakistani Army’s headquarters, killing at least six soldiers and sparking reports of a hostage situation on the base which is still ongoing.

It has been speculated that the target of the raid was Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Parvez Kayani. He was reportedly on the base during the day but does not appear to have been harmed during the attack.

Pakistan’s military is planning to launch a major offensive against the TTP’s base of operations, the South Waziristan Agency. Today’s attack proves however that despite government claims that the group is on the ropes after the Swat Valley offensive, they remain more than capable of hitting even the most secured places in Pakistan.

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