VOA标准英语10月-Pakistani Forces Capture Strategic Town

Pakistani security forces say they have made significant gains in their ongoing¹ offensive in a tribal² region bordering Afghanistan. The two-month military operation in the Bajaur area, they say, has killed more than 1,500 militants³ while 73 soldiers also have died. VOA's Ayaz Gul reports from the border village of Loisam the Pakistani military reclaimed⁴ this week.
　

A Pakistani tank takes is seen advancing on a road in Loisam, in the Bajur tribal region, Pakistan, 25 Oct 2008

By taking the key settlement of Loisam in the troubled north-western region, Pakistani military authorities say they have dealt a severe blow to communication lines of militants linked to al-Qaida and Taliban in the Bajaur region. The village was completely destroyed after heavy fighting.

The operation in the region began in early August after several major attacks on the army.

The commander of the ongoing operation in Bajaur, Major-General Tariq Khan, told a group of local and foreign reporters on Saturday that troops were now in complete control of the town of Loisam. But he acknowledged the militants had been offering stiff resistance to his soldiers from their network of tunnels and fortified⁵ compounds.

"It was a very unusual kind of battle," said General Khan. "It was not conventional. The resistance would dissolve in places wherever we would attack. It would regroup and reappear in the rear. This was facilitated by the underground tunnels that were made with caches of weapons that had been stored and placed all over."

Bajaur is one of the tribal areas on the Afghan border where the government has previously⁶ had little influence. Taliban and al-Qaida raids into Afghanistan from this mountainous tribal region are regularly launched from here.

General Khan says that elimination⁷ of militants from this agency will discourage militancy⁸ in other tribal areas. "The worst is over and I think things from here onward⁹ will be much easier. In my personal feeling, I think we have turned the corner," he said.

The Pakistani government is also encouraging tribesmen to revive traditional militias¹⁰, known as lashkars, to rout¹¹ out militants in their areas. But General Khan rejected criticism that the militias could pose a threat to Pakistani authority once the militants are evicted¹². He also denied media reports the government is providing the Lashkars with weapons.

"We are not providing any weapons or any kind of support to the lashkars [tribal militias] and they are made up with their own resources," said General Khan. "It dissolves after if has met its objectives."

Pakistani authorities say that 300 foreign militants had been arrested during the offensive. Uzbeks, Tajiks and Afghans are among the detainees.

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

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 reclaimed   

adj.再生的；翻造的；收复的；回收的v.开拓( reclaim的过去式和过去分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救

参考例句：

• Many sufferers have been reclaimed from a dependence on alcohol. 许多嗜酒成癖的受害者已经被挽救过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They reclaimed him from his evil ways. 他们把他从邪恶中挽救出来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 fortified   

adj. 加强的

参考例句：

• He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
• The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。

6 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

7 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

8 militancy   

n.warlike behavior or tendency

参考例句：

• Full of militancy and revolutionary ardour, the people of all nationalities in the country are working hard for the realization of the four modernizations. 全国各族人民意气风发， 斗志昂扬，为实现四个现代化而奋战。
• The seniority system is another factor that leads to union militancy. 排资论辈制度也是导致工会好斗争的另一因素。

9 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

10 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

11 rout   

n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮

参考例句：

• The enemy was put to rout all along the line.敌人已全线崩溃。
• The people's army put all to rout wherever they went.人民军队所向披靡。

12 evicted   

v.（依法从房屋里或土地上）驱逐，赶出( evict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
• They had evicted their tenants for non-payment of rent. 他们赶走了未交房租的房客。