VOA标准英语2009年-Pakistan Military Captures Taliban Leader'

By Sean Maroney
Islamabad
24 October 2009

 
Pakistani soldiers provide security as trucks carrying military logistics drive along road from South Waziristan to outskirts¹ of Dera Ismail Khan, 24 Oct 2009
 
Pakistani military officials say they have captured the hometown of Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud and one of his top deputies, Qari Hussain.  The announcement comes at the start of the second week of the army's offensive in Mehsud's stronghold of South Waziristan. 

Pakistani officials say the military gained control of the town of Kotkai Saturday, following days of heavy fighting.

Former security chief of the tribal² areas Mahmood Shah talked to VOA about the development.

"The town is not of any significance, but the mountainous area around is important," he said.

He says the army's capture of the Kotkai area will help facilitate its advance toward Makeen and Ladha, two major Taliban strongholds.

The Pakistani army entered the South Waziristan tribal region last Saturday from three different areas in an attempt to completely surround the Taliban fighters.

The military says it has killed at least 163 militants³, while 23 soldiers have died.

There is no independent confirmation⁴ of the tolls⁵, as the region is closed to outsiders and is dangerous even for local reporters to visit.

In recent weeks, suspected militants have launched a series of attacks, hitting police centers, the army's headquarters and a United Nations office.

There also have been at least five instances of violence since the Pakistani military began its offensive.  In one attack on Tuesday, two suicide bombers⁶ hit separate areas at an Islamic university in the capital, Islamabad.

Shah says that despite the fact officials had anticipated acts of retaliation⁷, the latest violence was surprising.

"We saw these attacks carry out with more ferocity than what probably the government had expected," he said.

Authorities have tightened⁸ security across the country, as well as closed educational institutions until Monday.

1 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

2 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

3 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

4 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

5 tolls   

（缓慢而有规律的）钟声( toll的名词复数 )； 通行费； 损耗； （战争、灾难等造成的）毁坏

参考例句：

• A man collected tolls at the gateway. 一个人在大门口收通行费。
• The long-distance call tolls amount to quite a sum. 长途电话费数目相当可观。

6 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。