More than 40 people were killed in a suicide car bombing in Pakistan’s Swat valley including civilians, women, and child. It was aimed at militants and explosion hit a security group in Shangla district. Fourth militant attack in eight days occurred in the town of Alpuri earlier military claimed area has secured. Taliban’s latest attempt to engage the army on several fronts ahead of Army planned ground nearby South Waziristan.

Alpurai was not under Taliban control at the time of a major anti- Taliban offensive by the military in Swat Valley. Security officials said they saw a car blew up near a hospital in the market as a group of troops was passing by. Dozens of people counting security officials are injured in the explosion. Khan Bahadur Khan a police official quoted the attack as a suicide attack. He added saying bomber hit one of three military vehicles that was passing through the busiest market in district. Several trucks were destroyed in the blast. Fourth attack within a week brings over 100 death tolls in four days across Pakistan. Pakistan security forces used aircraft and artillery to bombard militants in Bajaur tribal district near Afghan border. More than 15 militants are killed and over 25 injured. Arrest of several high profile Taliban leaders including Muslim Khan in Swat can be the main cause of attack although group leader Maulana Fazlullah remains secured. Offensive fight spilled into Shangla district.

Bomb exploded in Pakistan at the United Nations World Food Programme office in Islamabad killing not less than three people and six injuired. A foreign national staff of WFP is reported to be killed in the explosion among those killed. Bomb appeared to have gone off inside the heavily equipped UN compound.

No less than 16 people are supposed to be killed in north western within last week in two-suicide car bomb attack. Report says sequences of recent bomb attacks illustrate Taliban responsible for the scores of attacks in Pakistan and Islamist militants over more than two years are targeting foreigners. It is still uncertain were the explosion has hit whether in the heavily fortified compound or in the building were foreign national reported wounded. Tariq Mehmood a police official said bomb exploded near to a UN office department. It was a bomb blast uncertain of whether it was a suicide attack. Local television showed footage and smoke was rising from the UN building. Explosion appeared to be planted by a timed bomb in the basement of offices said Tahir Alam senior police officials. A female staff said she was on the upper floor sound of huge explosion downstairs were heard. He added saying many of her colleagues were lying on the floor drenched in blood wounded were rushed to the hospital. Across Islamabad security has been strengthen.

A roadside bomb smashed and blew up passenger bus on highway southern city of Kandahar in Afghanistan. Zalmai Ayoubi spokesperson of provincial government said it killed not less than 12 civilians counting women and children.

Homemade weapon are becoming the dangerous weapon used by insurgents for fighting and  attacking western and Afghan government forces and military, however there is an assumption that Taliban insurgents has planted the bomb because a similar blast happened in Maywand district killing three civilians. During such attack, civilians are killed more than troops. Wounded has been taken to military camp for medications. Around 1,500 civilians are killed by such attack in Afghanistan this year however 68 percent of civilians killing happens due to militant attack and 28 percent are killed by Afghan, US military and foreign troops led by NATO. At present there are 100,000 foreign soldiers in Afghanistan from that more than 60,000 are Americans. Military commander Gen Stanley Mc Chrystal has urged for more soldiers however US administration including Barack Obama need to decide and review the strategy. Increasing military victims lead to destabilized public support for this operation in some Western countries. Even European nation are waiting for US to take initiative of sending and increasing the troops.

As per the latest reports coming out of Islamabad, Pakistan’s most wanted man with a US$ 5 million reward on his head is said to have died in Wednesday’s drone strike. Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed when two US missiles hit the house of Taliban chief’s father-in-law, Malik Ikramuddin. Mehsud’s second wife was also killed in the same missile strike. Latest report confirm that there was a large gathering the next day for funeral of the leader confirming the point that a high value target had been executed.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi, foreign minister Pakistan confirmed that the Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed and the authority was in the process of doing ground verification before they give a 100% confirmation. The attack was done once the forces received solid intelligence on the ware bouts of the Taliban leader.

Taliban has not yet released any statement on the issue and is yet to confirm the leader’s death. But there have been reports that Taliban leadership is gathering in Southern Waziristan to elect the successor of Baitullah Mehsud. Three names have come under consideration as the probable replacements. Hakimullah Mehsud, Maulana Azmatullah and Wali-ur-Rehman are the names in running for the successor.

Baitullah Mehsud had been blamed for many suicide attacks including the one that killed Benazir Bhutto. He was also blamed for September 2007 bombings in Rawalpindi and the March 2009 Lahore police academy attack. Mehsud had his strong hold in South Waziristan and was the leader of Tehrik-i-Taliban since 2007.

Two road side bombs have killed at least 26 people in Southern Afghanistan. Both the blasts happened in the Helmand region of the war torn country. The first blast happened in the Garmshir district where a bomb when off under a tractor trailer killing 21 people mostly women and children. They were all traveling to attend a marriage celebration. In the past such bombs had been used against the Coalition and Afghan forces. Apart from the 21 who lost there lives, 5 people suffered serious injuries. As per the latest reports from the region, Afghan troops had been dispatched to the site to provide rescue to the injured.

In another bomb blast five police men were killed in the Nadali district of Helmand. The bomb was placed on the road side and exploded as a police vehicle moved close to it. Three police officers were also injured in the incident. Taliban fighters have been using these IEDs to inflict heavy damages, and at times are remote detonated or pressure detonated devices.

The new NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is currently visiting Afghanistan and is not in Kandahar. One of the main things on Rasmussen agenda is reducing civilian casualties. Taliban have caused more that 60 % of the total civilian casualties in the last one year.

A US drone is suspected to have fired two missiles killing one of the wives of the Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud. She was the second wife of the Taliban leader and Baitullah Mehsud married her last year. The home of Baitullah Mehsud’s Father-in-law was hit by two missiles today morning in Southern Waziristan’s tribal area. The attacked house was located in the Zangarha area and is 15 kilometers north east of Ladha. Malik Ikramuddin, father-in-law of the Taliban leader Baitullah Meshud owned the house.

As per reports, at the time of attack there were more then 40 people in the house but remained unharmed as they were in the other rooms. The body of the Baitullah Mehsud’s wife had to be dug out from the debris. Although drone attacks are common in the area but this was the first time when a close relative of the Taliban leader was targeted. The Pakistani government has come under criticism from their own people of the country on the support it has provided to US which in carrying out these attacks. This would only add support for Taliban and is expected to have a large backlash on Islamabad.

The city of Kabul woke up to a horrified dawn as it was hit by eight rockets on Tuesday. This is the first time in last five years that the Afghan capital was hit by so many rockets on such a short interval of time. According to the Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry spokesman, Najib Nikzad – there was not injuries or casualties in the Tuesday’s attack and the attack was to disrupt and derail the August 20 presidential elections.

The first explosion happened around 4 am. One of the rockets landed close to the U.S Embassy. The rockets were not targeted at any specific area of the capital and landed in different locations across the city.

US, NATO and Taliban forces have been fighting the Taliban insurgents who have asked to boycott the election process. For the NATO forces it has been a bad start to the month as they have already lost nine troops, not to forget July which was a record high month of casualties for the NATO forces.

Just yesterday there was a blast targeting the governor of a district of Herat province in which the District Police Chief lost his life. The blast happened in the City of Herat in Western Afghanistan killing 12 and injuring over 20 people.

The City of Herat in Western Afghanistan was rocked by bomb attack killing 12 people and injuring at least 20 as the attackers had tried to target a police convoy. The attacked killed and wounded both civilians and the regulars of Afghan Police. These attacks have increased in recent days as the country gets ready for its Presidential elections, scheduled for August 20.

Western Afghanistan has not been in news for such attacks for a long time as the concentration of such attacks have been in Taliban strong hold in South and East part of the country. Police officials confirmed that the bomb used in the Herat attack was remotely detonated using a remote control and was place in a rubbish bin on the roadside.

As per latest confirmed reports, two police men lost there lives along with a women and a child. Also injured in the bomb blast is the District Police Chief. The Bomb Blast was targeted on the governor of a district of Herat province who was believed to be a part of the convoy.

Herat is the Afghan gateway to Iran and a city is of great importance to the country as it generates revenue for the government in the form of customs.

Mohammed Yusuf, 39 leader of the Boko Haram the Nigerian version of Taliban has died in police custody; human right campaigners have called the killing unlawful. Boko Haram has been blamed for the unrest in north eastern Nigeria which has resulted in hundreds of people dead. The group like Taliban is against western education and wants to convert Nigeria into an Islamic state and also wants to implement a strict version of Islamic Sharia Law.

Mohammed Yusuf was killed in a shootout by the security forces when he tried to escape. This was confirmed to the Nigerian Television by Moses Anegbode, regional Asst. Inspector-General of Police.

This mass unrest in North Eastern Nigeria started on Sunday in Bauchi and then spread to the other towns. There have been several gun battles since Sunday between the Islamic militants and Government lead security forces. Hundreds of militants have tried to attack government and police buildings and have more then 300 people dead, but some estimate that the death toll could have even exceeded 600. Nigeria has a population of 150 million which is equally split with Muslims dominating the North and Christians dominating the South.

Sufi Muhammad, the radical cleric and fathering-law of the confronting Taliban leader in Swat Maulana Fazlullah was arrested in the Pakistani city Peshawar. He was arrested for his speeches against the government which encourage violence and terrorism.  Sufi Muhammad was the key in the failed peace deal which Pakistan government made with Taliban for the Swat valley.

The peace deal failed as the Taliban gorilla forces had moved towards the Pakistani Capital Islamabad. They had actually moved within 100 Kilometers of the capital. More then 2 million residents of the swat region had fled and taken refuge in camps to avoid atrocities of Taliban. Threatened by the Taliban and under pressure the government launched an offensive to clear out Taliban forces from the swat region.

As the armed forces cleared the swat valley and the Taliban fighters were pushed to the mountains, there has been peace in the region. Thousands have returned home after the valley has come under control of the Pakistani forces.

This action by the government makes it quite evident that the Pakistani Government is no longer in favor of any kind of negotiations with the Taliban fighter. This is also seen as a step taken by the Pakistani government to please United States.