Islamabad/ Rome - Two major al-Qaeda operatives in
Pakistan's tribal areas near Afghanistan have called upon their
followers to intensify holy war against security forces and seize
control of the capital Islamabad, media reports said on Thursday.
'Jihad is compulsory in Pakistan as it is compulsory in
Afghanistan,' Qadri Tahir Yaldeshiv the chief of the Islamic movement
of Uzbekistan and the chief of Uzbek militants in North Waziristan,
was cited as saying by Italian newswire Adnkronos International
(AKI).
He also encouraged Muslims to avenge the army commando operation
at the Red Mosque in July 2007 that left more than 100 militants and
hardcore students of an adjoining Islamic seminary died in the
action.
The action followed several weeks' standoff with the government
that rejected their demand for Taliban-styled strict Islamic rule in
the capital.
The video that was sent from Yaldeshiv's camp in the tribal
district of North Waziristan also included a statement from Abdul
Khaliq Haqqani, who supported the Uzbek militant.
Yaldshive also talked about the need for strict Sharia law in
Pakistan. 'Pakistan came into being on the name of Islam, therefore
Islam should be enforced in the country,' he said in the video.
The Uzbek commander is not very popular among the pro-Taliban
militants in South Waziristan and hundreds of his men were killed
early last year in an offensive by the local tribal fighters, led by
Mullah Nazir. Many others fled to the neighbouring North Waziristan
district.
The rivalry was renewed last week when suspected Uzbek militants
attacked two pro-Taliban offices in North Waziristan, killing eight
of their supporters. There are reports that local tribesmen have
already assembled an army of hundreds of fighters to avenge the
killings.
Hundreds of al-Qaeda terrorists fled to Pakistan after US invaded
Afghanistan in 2001. Initially, they were warmly welcomed by the
local tribesmen but in some areas the natives turned against them
because of their rigid behaviour.
© 2008 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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