Pakistani tribesmen battle Uzbek al Qaeda fighters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Pakistani tribesmen battle Uzbek al Qaeda fighters
Sat Mar 31, 2007 2:46 PM IST

TANK, Pakistan (Reuters) - Al Qaeda-linked militants and Pakistani tribesmen
fired rockets, mortar shells and automatic weapons on Saturday in a region
where officials say up to 177 people have been killed since last week.

The fighting showed the foreign militants, most of them Uzbeks from Central
Asia, had alienated tribesmen who had earlier sheltered them in Pakistan's
South Waziristan region after U.S. backed forces chased them out of
Afghanistan in late 2001.

-snip-

Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said more than 50 people had been
killed on Friday during clashes between Islamist militants and local Pashtun
tribesmen.

Witnesses said the estimate was on the high side, but even by their reckoning
the fighting has taken a heavy toll.

-snip-

Read more: http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2007-03-31T143834Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-292790-1.xml

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Source: BBC News

Last Updated: Friday, 30 March 2007, 18:11 GMT 19:11 UK

'Dozens die' in Pakistan fighting

Fifty-two people have been killed in fresh fighting between foreign militants
and local tribesmen in Pakistan, the interior minister says.

Forty-five of the dead are foreign militants, thought to be of Uzbek origin,
Aftab Khan Sherpao said.

The clashes began when tribesmen from the partially autonomous South
Waziristan region began trying to eject the foreign fighters.

With journalists barred from the area, casualty figures are hard to confirm.

The fighting has been going on for over a week.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6511375.stm

[nealmhughes]

1. Looks like the people of Waziristan are tired of Arab-financed outsiders in their province.

I wouldn't want to be persona non grata violating the NWF's concepts of honor and hospitality, myself. . .