Pakistan 'takes key Taliban town'

akistani troops have captured the key Taliban town of Kotkai in South Waziristan, security officials say.
Troops took the town after days of bombardments, officials said. Three soldiers and four Taliban were reported killed in the fighting overnight.
Kotkai, home to top Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud, has seen fierce fighting since Pakistan launched its South Waziristan offensive last week.
Journalists are being denied access to the area and cannot verify the reports.
Up to 100,000 civilians have fled the conflict zone, the army says.South Waziristan is considered to be the main sanctuary for Islamic militants outside Afghanistan.
Pakistan launched its offensive after a wave of militant attacks, believed to have been orchestrated from South Waziristan, killed more than 150 people.
'Breakthrough'
Pakistani troops - backed by artillery, helicopters and fighter jets - were reported to have briefly taken control of Kotkai in the course of fighting earlier this week.
But on Tuesday morning the Taliban hit back, destroying army checkpoints and killing seven soldiers, local officials said.However Pakistan's army subsequently said it had secured the tactically important heights around Kotkai.
On Saturday, AFP quoted an official as saying: "Security forces took control of Kotkai overnight and a clearance operation is in progress.
"It is a major breakthrough because it was the stronghold of Taliban and hometown of Hakimullah Mehsud and Qari Hussain," he added, referring to a reputed trainer of suicide bombers.
The BBC's Mark Dummett, in Islamabad, says the fighting is now expected to move into more remote and mountainous areas, as the army continues its drive deeper into this militant stronghold.
Meanwhile, at least 13 people were reported to have been killed by a US drone missile strike targeting a Taliban commander's house in the tribal region of Bajaur.
Officials said the strike had hit the house of Maulvi Faqir in Damadola village.

Afghan bombs kill eight US troops

Eight US soldiers have been killed in bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan, say Nato-led forces.
An Afghan civilian was also killed in what were called "multiple complex IED attacks" - or improvised bombs.
The deaths make October the deadliest month for American forces in the eight-year war in Afghanistan.
On Monday 11 soldiers were among 14 Americans killed in multiple air crashes. In total 55 US troops have died in October, the Pentagon says.
Like many deaths in Afghanistan, Tuesday's bloodshed was blamed on the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that pose the biggest threat to foreign forces operating in the country.


Adam Brookes, BBC News, Washington

The news of eight more casualties in Afghanistan comes at a time when President Obama is pondering what to do next in Afghanistan.
Americans are still waiting to hear whether the president is planning to increase troop levels. And this incident will contribute to the perception that the situation there is deteriorating, not improving.
The use of improvised explosive devices in these attacks seems to be part of a trend towards fewer conventional direct-fire engagements and more guerrilla-style attacks. It looks like these tactics are migrating from Iraq to Afghanistan, where we are seeing the Taliban increasingly using roadside bombs to attack coalition forces.
"Additionally, several service members were wounded in these incidents and were transported to a regional medical facility for treatment," said a statement from the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf).
Military spokesmen said there had been two attacks in the south of the country - one which killed seven soldiers and the civilian, and a second attack that killed one soldier.
But few other details were given, pending the notification of the soldiers' next of kin.
The sharp increase in the US death toll in Afghanistan comes amid a review of policy in Afghanistan by US President Barack Obama.
He is under pressure to reinforce the US military presence by tens of thousands of US troops - but many Americans are likely to oppose such a course in light of October's succession of deadly incidents, says the BBC's Andrew North, in Afghanistan.
The attacks also come amid heightened tension in Afghanistan in the run-up to the second round of a presidential election marred by widespread fraud in favour of incumbent President Hamid Karzai.