Pakistanis Battle Afghan Taliban Lashkar-e-Islam

By Ashley Tomford

According to the Long War Journal, 55 Pakistanis were killed in Khyber from a combination of military attacks, and a suicide bombing on March 2, 2012. This was a fight between the Lashkar-e-Islam, a radical, Talibal-like group, and Pakistani troops. The Lashkar-e-Islam started off the battle by ambushing a military checkpoint, killing 10 Pakistani soldiers. The soldiers manning the ambushed post returned fire and "claimed" to have killed 23 Lashkar-e-Islam fighters. Soon after this first attack, another took place. Outside of a mosque in the Tirah Valley, which was known to be a common place of several Lashkar-e-Islam members, one single Taliban member took their own life in a suiced bombing. In this attack, 22 people were reported killed and it is claimed that only 6 of these 22 people were Lashkar-e-Islam fighters. 

The Taliban tries to justify their attack by saying that it was basically a rebuttle for the deaths of several of their fighters last month. These deaths were caused by the Lashkar-e-Islam. This attack tops off the past attacks in the week leading up to it. Some of these other attacks include the killing of two women and a child in IED attacks and a "clash" between Pakistani fighters and Lashkar-e-Islam fighters, which led to the death of seven men in total. The article goes on to describe why the attacks have most likely been taking place and the past history between Pakistanis and Lashkar-e-Islam members. Lashkar-e-Islam members are fighting over control of the Tirah Valley and will go to all ends to successfully get it. Even if it means taking several of their own lives, in the consistent suicide bombings.