Just Another Day

Taliban chop ears of four private guards in Bajaur
Daily Times, Pakistan
Monday, January 12, 2009

LAHORE: The Taliban on Sunday chopped off ears of four private security guards in Bajaur Agency, a private TV channel said. An official told the channel that the incident took place in Danana Khar area of Khar district late on Saturday. He said the victims told him they were sitting in their tents at night when the Taliban took them hostage. They said the Taliban abducted around 18 security guards from various parts of the city and took them to an unidentified location. Later, they chopped off one ear each of Sheerin, Muhammad, Behram and Jehangir, considering them the guards’ leaders, they said. The Taliban also seized arms from the 18 men and left them in Shalimar Cheena area. The channel said the victims were moved to Khar Civil Hospital for treatment. The Taliban had not claimed responsibility for the incident so far, the channel said. daily times monitor

Christians asked to cancel festivals in Central Mindanao

Agence France-Presse | 01/08/2009 11:13 PM

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Authorities have asked local officials in the southern Philippines to cancel or downsize Christian festivals that might otherwise provoke Muslim militants, the region's top policeman said Thursday.

Police conveyed the request to officials in the Mindanao region, where half a million people were displaced by Muslim separatists' raids in the latter half of 2008, said Chief Superintendent Fidel Cimatu, Region 12 police chief.

In the latest attack, an unknown suspect tossed a grenade into a huge crowd of New Year revelers in the southern city of General Santos, wounding 22 people.

"Most cases of grenade-throwing and bombings have occurred in areas with large gatherings, like carnivals, town festivals and other activities that attract crowds," Cimatu told reporters.