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Fact Files
Operation Against Terrorists in
South Waziristan
Editor
Dr. Noor ul Haq
Assistant
Editor
Ghulam Ali
Contents
Preface
1. Pakistan Readies Taliban
Offensive
2. Pakistan Arrests 20 in Hunt for bin
Laden
3.
Foreign Suspects Among 20 Held in Wana Operation: Arms,
Documents
Seized
4. Pakistani Troops Renew Al-Qaeda Offensive
5. Wana Operation: Jirga of Tribal Elders to be Convened
6. Wana Crossfire: 12 Killed in Pakistan's Tribal Belt
7. Musharraf, Jamali Discuss Wana Operation
8. Musharraf Warns Against Failure of Wana Operation
9. Powell Hails Wana Operation
10. Wana Operation Launched With Reinforcement
11. Analysis: Pakistan's Defiant Tribesmen
12. Non-US Allies Helping Pakistan in Wana Operation
13.
Operation Wana: Bodies of Six Sent for DNA
14. Elders Try to End Pakistan Battle
15
The
Wana Operation: Pakistan Confronts Islamic Militants
in Waziristan
16. Pakistan Offensive 'Un-Islamic'
17. Wana Operation: Al-Qaeda Spy Chief Killed
18. Govt may Start Another Operation in Wana: Faisal
19. No Troops Pullout from Wana till Terrorists’ Elimination:
President
20. Shakai Next Target for Military Operation
21. Old Lessons Renewed
22. Wana, Waziristan Province, Pakistan
23. All Quiet on the North-Western Front
24. Shakai Operation Completed: Sultan
25. Wana Search Operation HR Violation: HRCP
26. Eight
Foreigners Killed in Clash with Pakistani Forces
27. Pakistan
Checking if Key Al-Qaeda Operators Killed in
Army
Offensive
28. Pakistan Hits Al-Qaeda Hideouts
29. Wana Amnesty for Militants Revoked: 'Capture or Kill'
Order Issued
30. Pakistan Claims Over 50 Militants Killed
31. Wana and Karachi
32. Air Strikes Launched in Shakai
33. Shakai Operation Ends after Achieving Targets: ISPR
34. Pakistani Troops Dig in after Raids on Al-Qaeda
Hideouts
35. Fighting in Pakistani Tribal Lands Leaves 72 Dead
36. Pakistan Ends Operation Against Al-Qaeda Suspects,
55
Terrorists, 17 Soldiers Killed
37. Pakistan's
Operation in Tribal Area Successful: Military
Spokesman
38.
Talks Restart in Wana as Operation Ends
39. Operation
in Shakai Concludes: Sultan
40. Operation in Shakai Completed
41. JI Demands End to Wana Operation
42. Terrorists Struggling for Survival
43. US Military Hails
Pakistani Operation in South Waziristan
44. New Al-Qaeda-trained Group Identified
45. Blast Kills Three Soldiers in Tribal Area
46. Shakai
Operation
47. A
Breakthrough?
48. Three Militiamen Die in Vehicle Explosion - Terrorists Shift to
North
Waziristan
49.
Canada Lauds Pak's Role Against Terrorism, Extremism
50. Pakistan Denies US
Help in Al-Qaeda Hunt
51.
Nek
Muhammad, Five Others Killed in Missile Attack
52.
Two Wanted Men Handed Over to Wana Administration
53. Faisal Terms Nek Muhammad's Death a Great Success
54. Wana Calm after Nek’s Killing
55. Military
Calls on Al-Qaeda, Tribal Rebels to Surrender
56. US Army, Afghan Govt Welcome Nek’s Killing
57. Musharraf Fears 'Fallout' of Wana Operation in Country
58.
Amnesty Renewed for Militants in Tribal Areas
59. Pakistani Forces Search Houses for Al-Qaeda Militants
60. Two
Al-Qaeda Suspects Held
61. Judicial Probe into Wana Operation Urged
62.
Musharraf's Role in War Against Terrorism Lauded
63.
Registration Issue can be Settled Peacefully: Fazl
64.
Two Militants Given Surrender Deadline
65. Wana
Operation will Continue till Registration Begins:
Faisal
66 MMA Agrees to Wana Registration
67. MMA to be Briefed over Wana Operation Today
68. Security Forces, Militants Trade Fire in Wana
69.
Pakistan Winning War on Terror: Musharraf
70. Troops Begin Advance Towards Shawal Area
71. Ambush and Clashes in Shakai Leave 11 Dead
72. No Taliban Camps in Pakistan: US
73. Troops Launch Search Operation in Raghzai
74. Terrorists Relocating to Cities: Musharraf
Preface
The
US supported the freedom fighters, the Mujahideen, in their war against
the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. During this period – 1979-89 – the US
facilitated the recruitment, training and equipping of thousands of fighters
from the Muslim world. Osama bin Laden, who fought along with the
Mujahideen against the Soviet troops, was also a beneficiary of the CIA.
After the war, he managed to bring a fairly large number of these
Mujahideen in his Al-Qaeda network.
After September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on Twin Towers and
Pentagon on US mainland and the latter’s response against the network of
bin-Laden in Afghanistan forced many militants to seek shelter along the
Pakistan-Afghan border. Pakistan, which emerged as a “frontline state” in the
fight against international terrorism, had to confront these elements in the
rugged and inhospitable mountainous terrain of South Waziristan. This region
forms part of a tribal territory that is adjacent to the Afghan border.
Historically, no ruler or empire in the past, including the British, were able
to freely move or establish their writ effectively in this tribal belt.
The present Factfile on “Operation Against Terrorists in South
Waziristan” will benefit all those interested in the military operation
recently launched by Pakistan Government against terrorists residing in the
northwestern tribal belt. It includes selected media reports, articles and
statements from 21st February till 17th August 2004. As
of late August, most of the foreign terrorists seem to have dispersed to
unknown locations outside Waziristan.
Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) organized a seminar on “Tribal
Areas of Pakistan: Challenges and Responses” on 7-8 September 2004. The papers
presented in the seminar highlighted political, economic and social problems
of these areas in historical and contemporary perspectives. The seminar
brought out the strategic importance of the area in the post 9/11
geo-strategic environment - both at regional and global levels. Besides, the
policies of the successive governments of Pakistan were critically assessed
and improvements suggested. These papers are being published as a book for the
benefit of academics, general readers and all those interested in the subject.
Noor ul Haq
Islamabad
September 2004
Pakistan Readies Taliban Offensive
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) --
Pakistan has stepped up security along the Afghan border ahead
of new operations against al Qaeda and Taliban in the tribal belt where Osama
bin Laden may be hiding, Pakistani military and intelligence sources said
Sunday.
The operation will be the fourth of its kind since the
September 11, 2001 attacks, the security sources, speaking on condition of
anonymity, told The Associated Press.
It would center on suspected Taliban and al Qaeda men who
Pakistan believes have married Pakistani women and are living in the tribal
areas -- the remote and historically autonomous regions that have never really
been brought under the control of Pakistan's central government.
It will be conducted in the Waziristan tribal region in
Pakistan's Northwest Frontier province, intelligence sources said.
Bin Laden was not the immediate target of the operation, said
one senior Pakistani intelligence official. But he said the hope was that the
operation would net clues that would ultimately lead to the "biggest evil."
"Right now, we are not chasing bin Laden, but the purpose of
all past efforts was to capture him," he said. "We are now tracking al Qaeda
fugitives to get clues from them about him."
He declined to give any other details.
Security was stepped up in the tribal region so that no one
could escape arrest, military sources told the AP, also on condition of
anonymity.
The operation comes amid rising speculation in the local press
that the U.S. military is planning a spring offensive in Afghanistan to
capture bin Laden.
Many of the reports have speculated that the operation would
spill over into Pakistani areas bordering Afghanistan, where the inhabitants
are linked by language and culture to Afghan Pashtuns, the ethnic group that
was the Taliban's power base.
Pakistan has been a key ally of the United States in war on
terror and its security forces have captured more than 500 al Qaeda and
Taliban fugitives since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon.
Among the captured are key figures in bin Laden's terrorist
network.
Earlier this week, the top American general in Afghanistan, Lt.
Gen. David Barno, said that he hoped that efforts by Pakistan, together with a
change in U.S. counterinsurgency tactics in Afghanistan, would create a
"hammer-and-anvil" effect to trap al Qaeda fighters between U.S. and Pakistani
forces.
Pakistani soldiers and government paramilitaries have been
meeting with tribal chiefs for at least six weeks in Pakistan and threatening
them with "destruction of homes and things of that nature" unless they
cooperate, Barno said.
A deadline has been given to tribal elders to surrender these
people to the army. Authorities have promised that they will not be extradited
if they surrender and hand in their weapons.
The planned operation in Waziristan mirrors earlier ones. The
first took place in Wana, a remote tribal region along the border with
Afghanistan in June 2002. It failed to net any major al-Qaida leader but
several Pakistani soldiers died.
The army again sent troops to the same region in October 2003
in an effort to arrest bin Laden's top associates. A similar operation was
again conducted in January during which Ahmad Said al-Kadr, a suspected al-Qaida
financier, was killed along with seven suspects.
21
February 2004
<http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/02/21/pakistan.security.ap/>
Pakistan Arrests 20 in Hunt for
bin Laden
WANA,
Pakistan – Pakistani forces backed by helicopters and artillery leveled three
houses and detained at least 20 people Tuesday, sweeping through villages in a
remote border region where Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida terrorists are
believed to be hiding.
The
searches near the town of Wana, just a few miles from the border with
Afghanistan, began after dawn, as paramilitary and army troops moved into
areas where the fugitives are believed to have taken refuge among tribes.
Using artillery, troops leveled homes belonging to three tribesmen who were
allegedly sheltering fugitives.
Three Arab women were among those detained, though it was not immediately
clear if they were under arrest.
"They were given an enough time," a government official supervising the
operation told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. "We launched
the operation when they failed to hand the foreign terrorists over."
People in Wana reported hearing explosions and gunshots throughout the
morning.
"We
have heard 25 to 30 explosions. The shooting started in the morning and it's
continuing," said Shahzad Wazir, a resident in Wana.
The
operation, which included more than a dozen helicopter gunships, began in the
village of Zarkai, a village in Pakistan's strategic South Waziristan tribal
region. It is located about 190 miles west of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.
Soon, two other villages were also under siege: Kaloosha and Azam
Warsak. Both are west of Wana.
Authorities have been talking for days about launching the operation, saying
it would go door-to-door if tribal elders did not voluntarily hand over any
terror suspects.
The
fact the operation was announced in advance suggested that officials saw
little chance of surprising bin Laden or other senior al-Qaida men, but the
maneuvers could be designed to make the area less hospitable and force the
suspects to flee into Afghanistan, where the Americans lead an 11,000-strong
military force and can operate more freely.
The Pakistani government had set Feb. 20 as the deadline for
tribal elders to hand over al-Qaida fugitives and their supporters. So far,
about 58 suspects have been turned over, though 38 are still being sought,
officials say.
In
recent days, Pakistan stepped up security in the tribal areas, said Mohammed
Azam Khan, a local official.
Authorities hope the sweep will yield clues about bin Laden, the al-Qaida
leader. Intelligence officials have long believed that bin Laden is hiding in
the rugged mountains between Pakistan and Afghanistan, though there has been
no hard evidence of his whereabouts for nearly two years.
The
operation comes weeks after CIA Director George Tenet is believed to have made
a secret trip to Pakistan to discuss the hunt for the Saudi fugitive as well
as ways to fight nuclear proliferation.
Pakistan denies that any American troops are involved in operations on its
soil, though residents have in the past said they have seen what they believed
to be U.S. special forces in the region.
Pakistan's government has limited authority in the tribal lands, but has been
expanding its role under U.S. pressure to crack down on terrorism since the
Sept. 11 attacks.
The
operation is the fourth against al-Qaida and Taliban fugitives along the
border since Pakistan became an ally of the United States after the terror
attacks in New York and Virginia.
More than 500 suspected al-Qaida and Taliban fugitives have been
captured, including key figures in bin Laden's terrorist network. Most have
been turned over to U.S. authorities.
Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri said Monday that any top al-Qaida fugitives
wanted in the United States would be handed over. However, President Gen.
Pervez Musharraf has assured tribal elders that suspects who turn over their
weapons and surrender would not be extradited.
24 February 2004
<http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/2/24/92715.shtml>
Foreign
Suspects Among 20 Held in Wana Operation:
Arms, Documents seized
ISLAMABAD/ PESHAWAR, Feb 24: At least 20 suspected terrorists, including some
foreign nationals, were arrested during a day-long operation conducted jointly
by the army and paramilitary troops in South Waziristan Agency on Tuesday,
sources told Dawn.
They
said troops backed by over a dozen helicopter gunships and artillery, also
destroyed three houses in the remote border area where Al Qaeda militants and
possibly Osama bin Laden, were believed to be hiding.
Commandos from the elite Special Services Group were flown into Ziara Latta in
the Azam Warsak area close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Hundreds of
regular troops and paramilitary forces, backed by helicopter gun ships,
surrounded a small valley in the west of Wana, the agency headquarters, which
according to intelligence reports was being used as a hideout by the
militants.
The
operation began at dawn in the village of Zarkai. Two other villages of the
South Waziristan Agency - Kaloosha and Azam Warsak - were also besieged by the
troops, the sources said.
The
operation was launched after a Feb 20 deadline set by the government for
tribal elders to hand over Al Qaeda fugitives and their supporters passed and
the government received a tip-off about presence of foreign suspects, the
sources added.
The
sources said the troops conducted a house-to-house search and razed houses of
three tribesmen who refused to cooperate with the authorities. ISPR
Director-General Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan confirmed the arrest of 20 people
during the crackdown.
He
said the operation, which commenced in the morning on reports about presence
of suspected foreign terrorist, successfully concluded by the evening.
"However, certain post-operation activities are still going on," he added.
"There were no casualties on either side," the ISPR chief said. He said
weapons, ammunition and some audio-cassettes were recovered by the troops
during the search operation.
"In
addition, certain documents, including passports have also been recovered from
the houses which confirm the presence of outsiders," he maintained.
The
ISPR chief said the political agent of the South Waziristan Agency, maliks and
tribal elders were present during the operation. Some of the locals taken into
custody during the operation were later released after getting necessary
assurances from tribal chiefs.
He
reiterated that such operations were a routine matter and a part of the
ongoing war on terror and conducted whenever required. Officials told Dawn in
Peshawar that among the 20 suspects arrested, four were women.
The
women, who spoke Pushto, appeared to be either Kazakhs or Afghans married to
Kazakhs, the official said, adding they held Kazakh passports. The women were
later handed over to local tribesmen on the guarantee that they would be
presented to the authorities as and when needed, an official in Peshawar said.
The
official said troops blasted the houses of Mitta Khan and Abdullah, both
Gurmazkhel tribesmen and Malik Salad Khan Ghulamkhel for sheltering militants.
A jirga of Ahmadzai Wazir tribe has been convened on Tuesday to discuss the
situation in the face of an impending operation against foreign militants.
Officials said the operation had nothing to do with the plans being worked out
by the political administration in Waziristan to flush out Al Qaeda and
Taliban remnants.
"The
army could go after a high value target. This (operation) has nothing to do
with the search operation to be conducted in the area in the coming days," the
officials said.
The
operation that continued till 2.30pm caused panic among local people, adds
Sailab Mehsud from Wana. The arrested people have been identified as Amir
Hamza, Ghulam Haider, Wali Mohammad, Noor Mohammad, Mir Wali, Khan Mohammad,
Mir Waid Khan, Omar Farooq, Rehmatullah, Zardad Khan, Mehnat Khan, Abdul
Waheed, Gul Mohammad, Abdul Malik, Serat Khan, Gul Salam, Abdul Qadir and
Ashraf. The names of other suspects could not be ascertained.
FOREIGN SUSPECTS: Intelligence officials said 25 people, including Saudi,
Egyptian and Yemeni nationals, were among those held and others could be
Uzbeks or Chechens, adds Reuters. They said the detainees included men and
women.
"We
are trying to establish their identity," one intelligence source said, but
added that no top Al Qaeda figures were thought to be among those held. Seven
suspects were seen being driven away in military vehicles, but it was unclear
if they were foreigners or local tribesmen.
CNN
quoted Pakistani intelligence sources as saying that helicopter gunships were
a part of the force that conducted the raid on Tuesday. The battle that
resulted in the arrests included exchange of rocket fire.
Ahead of the operation, the sources said, tribal leaders had turned over at
least 32 wanted people to the government, with at least 40 others still at
large.
25 February 2004
<http://www.dawn.com/2004/02/25/top1.htm>
Pakistani Troops Renew al-Qaeda Offensive
Anti-Terror Campaign:
A day after a news report said bin Laden's position had been
narrowed down, Pakistani forces detained at least 25 suspects in a remote
tribal area.
Pakistani troops detained at least 25 suspects and blew up two houses in a new
offensive against al-Qaeda and Taliban militants yesterday in a remote tribal
area near the Afghan border, officials said.
A
day earlier, US and Pakistani military officials said the whereabouts of
al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden remained a mystery, despite a British news
report saying his location had been narrowed down to Pakistani mountains near
the Afghan border.
Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the latest operation was
launched near Wana, nearly 300km northeast of where bin Laden was reported to
be hiding.
Asked whether the operation was targeting bin Laden, he said: "It is against
foreign terrorists."
A
reporter saw troops destroy two houses with cannon fire in the village of
Zarai Letta, about 15km west of the town of Wana, while military helicopters
flew overhead. Wana is 360km southwest of Islamabad.
Seven suspects were seen being driven away in military vehicles, but it was
unclear if they were foreigners or local tribesmen. Intelligence officials
said 25 people, including women, had been detained.
"We
are trying to establish their identity but initial investigations suggest
there could be some Uzbeks, Chechens and Arabs among them," one said.
At
least 14 helicopters were seen flying overhead in the early morning when the
operation was launched.
Military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan said the operation followed a
tip-off about the presence of "foreign terrorists" who failed to surrender by
a Friday deadline.
It
came hours after US President George W. Bush vowed to track down al-Qaeda
militants and ahead of a visit to Afghanistan by US Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld later this week.
The
operation also follows a visit to Pakistan this month by CIA Director George
Tenet in which he is thought to have discussed the hunt for bin Laden and
al-Qaeda and a proliferation scandal involving the father of Pakistan's atomic
bomb.
"We
are on the hunt for al-Qaeda," Bush told a meeting of US governors at the
White House.
"It
requires all assets, intelligence assets and military assets, to chase them
down and bring them to justice, and we're going pretty good -- better than
pretty good," he said.
Pakistan, a key ally in the US-led war on terror, has handed over more than
500 al-Qaeda suspects to the US since the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, and a
military statement said the operation showed Islamabad's "continued resolve."
But
the timing of the Wana operation ahead of Rumsfeld's visit could suggest a
desire by Islamabad to win over doubters in Washington given the fallout from
revelations that Iran, North Korea and Libya received Pakistani nuclear
technology.
Authorities in South Waziristan have have been pressuring tribesmen in recent
months to hand over al-Qaeda suspects and Taliban fighters hiding in the
region.
25
February 2004
<http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/02/25/2003100040/print>
WANA Operation: JIRGA of Tribal Elders to be Convened
Peshawar, Feb 26: Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Thursday announced to convene
Jirga of tribal elders and Maliks to discuss the problems and ongoing
operation of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
This
was announced by acting President of MMA, Qazi Hussain Ahmad while talking to
journalists here. After the land sliding victory of MMA in tribal belt, it is
the duty of the alliance to address the issues and problems of the people of
the area by holding Loya Jirga of the eight tribes, Jamaat-e-Islami chief
said.
The
Loya Jirga, which is scheduled to meet from April 2-4, would discuss a series
of measures to handle the military operation and the economic and political
situation in the tribal areas besides problems being faced by the common man,
he added.
Tribal people should not resist the operation rather they should look for some
democratic solution of settling their differences on the operation with the
government, he said.
Later talking to a tribal delegation Qazi Hussain said that the Muttahida
Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) would compel the government to stop the Army’s anti-Al
Qaeda operation in the tribal areas.
12-member
delegation from Mirali, in the North Waziristan Agency, led by Maulvi Noor
Muhammad and JI Deputy Secretary General Zar Noor Afridi, met Qazi Hussain
Ahmad and Senior Minister Sirajul Haq. Mr Ahmad asked the delegation to remain
peaceful and tolerant.
He criticised
the current administrative system in the tribal areas, saying the system had
become “rotten” and there was a need for an administration system for the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). He assured the delegation that the
MMA would try to force the federal government to stop the military operation
in the tribal areas.
Speaking to reporters, Maulvi Muhammad said they had informed the MMA’s acting
president of their concerns caused by the operation in the tribal areas.
“There are no Al Qaeda elements here but the military operation is being
undertaken on the basis of false information provided to the government,”
Maulvi Muhammad said.
“There are the Khasadar force and scouts and if the government suspects anyone
of involvement in any anti-state activities, it should take tribal elders into
confidence,” he said.
26 February 2004
<http://www.jamaat.org/news/pr022704.html>
WANA Crossfire: 12 Killed in Pakistan's Tribal Belt
WANA (South
Waziristan): At least twelve persons were killed and three other injured when
law enforcement agencies opened fire on two suspected transport vehicles
Saturday.
According to the local
witnesses, the security forces signaled the vehicles to stop near the
cantonment area of Ghari Noor, however, yet amid no heed to the signal, the
forces were left with no option but to open fire on the suspected people.
Twelve people including
six aliens and five members of Wazir Ahmad Zai tribe died on the spot and
three were injured.
The five deceased
belonging to Wazir Ahmad Zai tribe are Maidan Jan, Rashim Khan, Hazrat Unmar,
Mohammad Sharif and Dunger Khan while the names of aliens could not be
ascertained.
ISPR Communiqué
Meanwhile in Islamabad,
a spokesman of ISPR said that in the wee hours on Saturday, some miscreants
fired mortar rounds on Frontier Corps (FC) check post and Army camp in general
area Wana in South Waziristan Agency.
In the early hours,
outside Wana, 2-3 vehicles came towards Frontier Corps check post and fired on
on it. The FC retaliated and in the cross fire there have been few civilian
casualties who may possibly be terrorists. The chances of some civilian having
been killed cannot be ruled out. Reportedly 11 persons have died and six are
injured.
16 Arrested
About sixteen people
have been arrested and they are in the custody of Political Agent. The
Political Administration is carrying out further investigations.
Speculators Warned
Director General Inter
Services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan has, meanwhile
cautioned the speculators to avoid spreading rumors about incident of cross
firing between the security forces and terrorists in Wana.
The firing was first
started by the terrorists from a vehicle and Frontier Corps at first showed
utmost restraint, Sultan said. It was retaliated by Frontier Corps men only
when terrorists accelerated the pace of their firing, he said.
Consequently 11 people
were killed and 6 injured in cross firing who are most probably the civilians,
he added.
Terrorists
There
may be some terrorists among the dead but the killing of civilians cannot be
ruled out, Maj Gen Sultan said.
All people killed in
the incident are men, he said, adding there is no child or women among them.
However he said the
nationality of the dead cannot be determined at present. Investigation is
continuing and if there are some terrorists among the killed, they would come
to light, he said.
Sultan Denies
Reports
Sultan categorically
refuted the reports that incident occurred when the Frontier Corps personnel
at the post opened fire on a vehicle which tried to escape the checking.
He said spreading of
speculations and rumors would have adverse effect on the people in area as
well as on the security forces. He informed that small arms were used in cross
firing.
US lauds Pak Role
against Terrorism
Meanwhile, United
States Saturday lauded Pakistan’s key role in war against terrorism.
Addressing a news
conference, US Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Ambassador Coffer Black said
that Pakistan was the front ally in eliminating terrorism from the globe.
He said Pakistani
forces were searching for the Al-Qaeda forces along the Afghanistan border to
eliminate terrorism. He also lauded Pakistan’s role in the war against terror.
He maintained that Pakistan and US will continue to work closely and
coordinate in the global campaign against terrorism.
Red alert at
Karachi Airport
A report, beamed by a
national news agency INP says: a red alert was declared at the Quaid-e-Azam
International Airport in Karachi on Saturday and all visitor passes, except
for duty passes have been cancelled, said well informed sources.
There was no official
pronouncement in this regard but sources said the 72-hour alert has been
ordered to prevent any likelihood of terrorist attacks, in the context of
developments in Waziristan operations.
The crisis control
centre which was closed after the Coalition forces had taken over Afghanistan,
has once again been activated which was indicative of major operations in the
region.
Qazi condemns Wana
Episode
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
(MMA) acting President Qazi Hussain Ahmed Saturday condemned the killing of 12
people in Wana town of South Waziristan Agency during, what he phrased as 'the
search operation for terror master-mind Osama Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda
lieutenants.'
Speaking at press
conference in Islamabad, Qazi who is also the head of moderate rightist group
Jamaat-e-Islami, viewed; “All this is being carried out on the directives of
United States’ administration.”
Call to Muslims
Airing a signal of
warning, Qazi said in an emphatic tone that 'nation would not let this kind of
thing to be happen in future.'
Qazi Hussain Ahmed,
whose party is thought to be the main supporter of the Islamization of
politics, observed that the lack of unity was the sole reason behind the
miseries being faced by the entire Muslim world.
He urged the leaders of
the Islamic countries to bring discipline in their ranks and adopt the policy
of accommodation in politics for the revival of the bygones days’ glory of
them.
Future Strategy
Qazi Hussain Ahmed said
that the leadership of the MMA would meet on March 05 to chalk out future
strategy of the party especially after the operation in Wana, an area of South
Wazirstan Agency of FATA.
Censures Western
Media
Criticizing the role of
Western Media, he said it has launched a well planned campaign against Muslim
Ummah especially against Pakistan and its nuclear programme by involving
Pakistani scientists in nuclear proliferation.
He said that Pakistan
played a key role in operation against Taliban and al-Qaeda as a front line
state and ally of USA. Unfortunately, he said, the American administration has
launched campaign against Pakistan.
29 February 2004
<http://pakistantimes.net/2004/02/29/top.htm>
Musharraf, Jamali Discuss Wana Operation
ISLAMABAD: With top
level international visits gripping Islamabad over the question of dubious
proliferation issue, President Pervez Musharraf held a brain storming session
with Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali at Army House in Rawalpindi
Monday.
It was longest ever
meeting between the two, ever since Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali assumed office.
The meeting lasted for about four hours during which issue of
non-proliferation and Wana operation figured high. …
Pressure Mounting
Sources say that
pressure is mounting on Pakistani government to allow coalition forces to
conduct operation against Al-Qaeda in Waziristan in a bid to capture Osama bin
Laden.
The Government of
Pakistan has so far resisted this pressure but unfortunately now the two
entirely separate issues of nuclear exports and Wana operation are being
interlinked by the world community particularly USA.
The President and the
Prime Minister are believed to have discussed this linkage at length in
today’s meeting.
Pros and Cons of
Joint Operation
The two are believed to
have weighed the pros and cons of allowing a joint operation in tribal area
against terrorists. Politically the two leaders find it very hard to make this
policy acceptable to parliament and also to the people of Pakistan.
Most importantly,
uneasy clam prevails between ruling alliance and the MMA over the Wana
operation. It was due to the help of MMA that Musharaff’s controversial LFO
found a place in the Constitution of Pakistan.
Proactive Approach
Sources said that
President and Prime Minister decided to adopt even more proactive approach
towards ongoing operation in Wana. It seems that USA has shared intelligence
with Pakistani authorities about the whereabouts of Osama and his ranks who
are believed to be on move all the time.
Al-Qaeda
The
unmatching mobility of top Al-Qaeda men have made operation on both sides of
Pak-Afghan borders very difficult. Both President and Prime Minister agreed
that it was a matter of time when top Al-Qaeda men will be captured. Both
renewed Pakistan’s commitment to fight against terrorism. …
2 March 2004
<http://www.pakistantimes.net/2004/03/02/top1.htm>
Musharraf Warns Against Failure of WANA Operation
PESHAWAR, March 15: Exhorting tribesmen to expel foreign militants from tribal
regions, President Gen Pervez Musharraf warned on Monday that failure to do so
could entail serious repercussions for Pakistan.
The
president told a grand tribal Jirga at the sprawling lawns of the Governor's
House here that the ongoing operation in South Waziristan must produce results
at all costs.
"Repercussions will be very serious for the country if operation fails in Wana,"
he said, stressing that the tribesmen would have to cooperate with the
government in this regard.
"We
have confirmed that 500 to 600 foreign suspects have been sheltered in the
South Waziristan region. But we don't want they get weapons and training from
here and create disturbance across the western border," he said.
He
urged tribal elders to expel foreign suspects and their local sympathizers
from the region. He reiterated an earlier offer that foreign militants who
surrendered would not be handed over to any foreign country.
President Musharraf's warning to the gathering of over 500 tribal elders and
parliamentarians came two days ahead of a visit to Islamabad by US Secretary
of State Colin Powell.
NWFP
Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, Water and Power Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan
Sherpao, Commander 11th Corps Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain, and senior officials were
present on the occasion.
The
president assured that foreign troops, including Americans, would not be
allowed to carry out any operation in tribal areas. Only Pakistan troops would
conduct operations against the wanted people, he said.
"I
assure you that US troops would not be engaged in the South Waziristan's
operation. I can quit (my office), but will not compromise on vital national
interest," he said.
He,
however, acknowledged that some Americans were operating in the area to gather
intelligence on foreign militants. "It is true that over two dozen Americans
are operating in the area who are sharing intelligence with the
administration," he admitted.
Appreciating tribesmen's role in the operation against Al Qaeda, Gen Musharraf
said tribal volunteers had started action against extremists and were
dismantling their hideouts in Wana, but that was not enough.
He
said that foreign elements, including Uzbek and Tajiks, were being sheltered
in this part of the country and they should be removed. Expressing concern
over the recent killing of 13 civilians in Wana, he said investigations were
under way and action would be taken against responsible officials. He said
such misunderstandings would not be repeated in future.
The
president said it was encouraging that tribesmen were giving positive response
to the government's efforts in removing extremism from the country. But the
government would do more to improve the image of Pakistan in the international
community, he added.
Showing a copy of an international magazine, Gen Musharraf pointed out that
foreign media had reported that suspects sneaked into Afghan territory from
the tribal area and attacked allied forces and that Pakistan was not
cooperating in the war against terrorism.
He
said that extremists had badly damaged the image of Islam and Muslims were
being projected as ignorant, militant and suicide bombers. He said the West
did not know that Muslims believed in peace and brotherhood.
Gen
Musharraf said the world community continued to blame Pakistan for the
prevailing insecurity in Afghanistan, disturbances in the Indian-held Kashmir
and nuclear proliferation and accused it of promoting extremism across the
world.
He
said: "We are not living in space and Pakistan is part of the integrated
world." Extremists were trying to marginalize Pakistan, but their designs
would be foiled, he added.
The
president said he feared that if peace efforts failed in Afghanistan, Pakistan
would again face a huge influx of millions of refugees. Peace in Afghanistan
is in the interest of Pakistan.
He
reiterated that Pakistan would not roll back its nuclear programme and had
recently test-fired the ballistic Shaheen-II missile and would continue the
programme.
DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE:
Gen
Musharraf said the government was committed to continue development activities
in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. He said the ongoing development
schemes would change socio-economic environment of the area.
He
assured the Jirga that the proposed Rs7 billion development package would be
released soon to expedite development activities in the region. The president
said that work on the Torkham-Jalalabad road and Peshawar-Torkham Expressway
would be started soon, while construction of the Thall-Parachinar and
Bannu-Ghulam Khan highways was under consideration.
He
said that Pakistan had an important geo-strategic location in the region and
could act as a bridge between the land-locked Central Asian Republics and the
South Asian region by developing land routes.
'Libyan militant tried to kill me'
PESHAWAR: The president accused a Libyan Al Qaeda militant of trying to kill
him in December. "We have identified a network. They belong to Al Qaeda. One
Libyan was involved in the attacks on me," Gen Musharraf said during a visit
to Peshawar. -APP
16 March 2004
<http://www.dawn.com/2004/03/16/top4.htm>
Powell Hails Wana Operation
Says US to stay in Afghanistan for long
KABUL: US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday praised Pakistan’s
latest raid against al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters.
The
action suggests that they have picked up the pace... we hope that they will
continue to do that," Powell told reporters during a day-long visit to Kabul
on the second leg of his South Asia tour. The raid showed "intentions on the
part of the Pakistanis not to allow these tribal areas to be used as a haven
for the Taliban, where they can cause trouble in Afghanistan.
Powell said the US has been doing everything it can to encourage Pakistani
leaders especially President Musharraf to be more active in patrolling the
border and preventing infiltrations by militants. He expressed regret for the
loss of troops in the operation since October.
Powell said the 13,500-strong US-led military coalition in Afghanistan would
be "increasing the pace of operations along the border" and working in tandem
with the Pakistani forces. "If Taliban elements are forced from Pakistan back
into Afghanistan as a result of actions on the Pakistan side of the border, I
am sure that our military forces here, working with Afghan forces, will deal
with those elements. I am sure that nothing would be done along that border
which is not done without coordination with both sovereigns (Afghanistan and
Pakistan)," he added.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai also said he was pleased with Pakistan’s efforts
to chase terrorists and arrest them. "Afghanistan will stay firmly with the
government of Pakistan in the fight against terrorism in that we are willing
to extend every cooperation," Karzai said in a joint press conference with
Powell.
Powell pledged long-term assistance to Afghanistan. "The United States is in
this for the long haul," he said, adding: "They (the Afghans) don’t have to
hope we will be here. We will be here."
Powell said the US would pledge $1 billion in reconstruction assistance to
Afghanistan at a donors meeting later this month in Berlin, bringing total US
aid to the nation to $2.2 billion in 2004.
Karzai echoed the concern of many observers when he said the polls may be
delayed beyond their June schedule, laid out at the December 2001 Bonn
Conference, which created the transitional Afghan government.
The
sluggish pace of voter registration, largely delayed by insecurity in southern
areas, has seen only one-tenth of the estimated 10.5 million eligible voters
registered so far. "If (voter registration) is done on time by the United
Nations, the Afghan government is keen to have elections in June, July or in
August depending on the preparations," Karzai said. "The intention is to have
the elections on time, (both) presidential and parliamentary," he added.
Asked about Karzai’s comments later, Powell told reporters at Kabul airport
before departing for Pakistan, the timing of the polls was up to the Afghan
people, but added he did not believe a short delay would be overly
problematic. He reiterated the importance of registering women’s vote, urging
the Afghan women to exercise their democratic rights.
Earlier, heavily-armed Afghan soldiers and police and US Marines lined the
capital’s streets as Powell’s motorcade whizzed him to the presidential palace
for 45-minute talks and a working lunch with President Hamid Karzai. The hunt
for Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda fighters, plus their Taliban allies, was high
on the agenda during their meeting.
18 March 2004
<http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/mar2004-daily/18-03-2004/main/main2.htm>
WANA Operation Launched
with Reinforcement
WANA,
March 18 (Online): The operation in Wana has been launched again on early
Thursday morning for the arrest of the wanted people in the area.
Secretary FATA Brigadier Memhmood Shah informed reporters that the Wana
operation started by Frontier Corps and Militia has been re-launched on
Thursday with the help from Army and gunship helicopters. He however declined
to give any specific number of the troops participating in the operation.
He
said that the operation has been re-launched, with reinforcement, to arrest
the militants who were in a large number than expected and as such they could
not be nabbed in the previous operation and the operation will continue unless
these elements were combed out of Pakistan.
The
local population was given three hours for evacuation from the area following
which the operation was launched at around 10 am in the morning.
18 March 2004
<http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=58632>
Analysis: Pakistan's
Defiant Tribesmen
South Waziristan, the battleground for Pakistan's offensive against al-Qaeda,
has a history of under-development, religious conservatism and a pool of
tribesmen battle-hardened from Afghanistan's long years of war.
The
ferocity of the latest fighting suggests the Pakistani armed forces have
clearly under-estimated the military challenge arising from these complex
tribal areas.
South Waziristan is intrinsically linked with Afghanistan.
It
is inhabited mainly by Pashtuns, the largely conservative ethnic group that
forms the majority in Afghanistan and dominates Pakistan's North-West Frontier
Province and Balochistan.
The
two major Pashtun tribes in South Waziristan are the Wazir and Mahsud.
The
Wazir live on both sides of the Durand Line that serves as a border between
Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Wazir tribesmen also live in the Wana valley, where much of this week's
fighting has taken place.
Most
of the tribesmen allegedly giving refuge to al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects and
now fighting with them against the Pakistani army belong to the Wazir tribe.
The
tribesmen are traditional fighters and learn the use of a gun at an early age
in keeping with local traditions.
A
sizeable number took part in the US-backed Afghan jihad against Soviet
occupation troops in Afghanistan.
Subsequently, many fought alongside the Taliban against the Northern Alliance
and the US in late 2001.
The
years of fighting gave them more sophisticated fighting skills.
Those skills may now have enabled some of them to put up fierce resistance to
the Pakistani army despite being outnumbered and outgunned.
At
the start of this week's operation, the army lost 15 soldiers killed, while 22
were injured and others fell into the hands of the militants.
Six
government officials went missing and 23 military vehicles, including three
armoured personnel carriers, were destroyed as the army was given a bloody
nose.
The
ferocity also reflects a lack of trust in President Pervez Musharraf's
guarantee that the fighters will not be delivered to the US if they surrender.
Clearly, the military will need to launch more operations to destroy the
militants' hideouts.
Clerical power
South Waziristan's political leadership is dominated by the conservative
clergy who are often at odds with the Musharraf administration.
Its
two National Assembly members are clergymen affiliated to the religious
alliance known as the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA).
The
MMA campaigned on an anti-US platform in the October 2002 general elections
and won a record number of assembly seats in North-West Frontier Province and
Balochistan, where the electorate was angry over the US military intervention
in Afghanistan.
South Waziristan has a history of clerics exercising power to inspire
tribesmen to fight foreign occupation forces.
Before and after independence from Britain, the Faqir of Ipi was a legendary
freedom-fighter in Waziristan.
Back
in the early part of the last century, the British fought a largely
unsuccessful bid to crush the independence struggle by native tribes.
The
landscape is dotted with forts built by the colonials to this end.
Below average
The
other factor that may be a reason for unrest in South Waziristan and the other
six Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fatas) bordering Afghanistan is
under-development.
The
indicators for education, health and communications are far below the national
average.
The
funding for development projects in South Waziristan and other tribal regions
has been increased since the US military intervention in Afghanistan in 2001
in an attempt to persuade the tribal population to co-operate with the war
against terror.
Some
successes can be pointed to.
There have been no reports of al-Qaeda and Taliban hideouts in territory
populated by the second Pashtun tribe, the Mahsud.
Indeed, the Mahsud have achieved impressive literacy figures in recent years
and have produced many senior civil and military officers.
However, funds in the region are still far less than needed.
Whatever the result of the latest operation in South Waziristan, it is
unlikely to bring a speedy improvement to many of the region's underlying
problems.
19 March 2004
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3551345.stm>
Non-US Allies Helping Pakistan in WANA Operation
WASHINGTON: Senator Jay Rockefeller made the dramatic disclosure on Sunday
that not America but some other countries were helping Pakistan in the ongoing
operation in South Waziristan. The Senator, who is a member of the Senate
Intelligence Committee, appearing on CNN, did not name the countries but a
diplomat to whom Daily Times spoke later said, “You can be sure that one of
those countries is Britain, since it is well known that some of the work that
the Americans avoid doing in certain parts of the world is willingly performed
for them by the British.” —Khalid Hasan
22 March 2004
<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_22-3-2004_pg7_7>
Operation Wana:
Bodies of Six Sent for DNA
WANA (South Waziristan): Amid an
unabated resistance by terrorists in this part of the tribal belt, a course
for a dialogue with tribes’ elders could not get matured on Sunday and
authorities are all set to take the ongoing crusade to its logical end.
An update from the area
says that bodies of six, reported to be aliens have been sent to Rawalpindi
for DNA test to get a lead of the type of the hostiles, fighting in Wana and
in its’ suburbs.
Dialogue
Credible sources told ‘Pakistan Times’ Sunday that the authorities had
accepted a plea for a dialogue with the tribal elders, subject to the
condition that they would not give shelter to any terrorist and that all those
in their knowledge shall be handed over, as pledged earlier.
The authorities were
ready even to cease action in the area during the course of an interaction
with the elders, yet ‘since the proposal could not get matured, the action
persists.’
House to House
Search
A House to House search
is being carried out in the area to nab the terrorists. The suspected houses
are getting demolished in the action, sources said by adding; ‘the ongoing
operation shall remain intact with optimal force, till the real objectives of
this course are achieved.’
More Arrests
Yet another report says
that 10 more suspected terrorists have been arrested by the authorities. All
of them have been shifted from the area for an in-depth probe.
Bodies of Six Foreign Miscreants Recovered
The bodies of six
foreign miscreants, believed to be Chechens, were recovered on Sunday by the
Paramilitary troops and Pakistan Army carrying out joint anti-terrorist
operation in Wana.
Secretary FATA
Secretary FATA
(Security) Brigadier (R) Mehmud Shah said on Sunday that house to house search
is continuing in the cordoned off areas in Wana to flush out terrorists, who
have taken shelter in the South Waziristan Agency.
The forces are moving
ahead from both eastern and western ends to further tighten the noose around
the foreign nationals, hiding in the agency. The demolition of houses of the
suspected elements is in progress in Shin Warsak and Kalosha areas.
Details
Giving details about the latest information regarding operation, he said, two
foreign nationals of Chechen origin were shot dead by the forces on Sunday
afternoon. The Secretary FATA received the information about the deaths of the
Chechens during briefing. He said, the bodies of the Chechens have
been recovered.
He told that a grand
jirga of all the Tribal Agencies and Frontier Regions comprising 50 to 52
leading tribal figures (5 tribal elders from each agency and two from FRs was
engaged in consultation with the embattled tribesmen of Zallikhel Wazir tribe
in cordoned areas.
Conditions
He said that the Political Agent of the Agency has put forward three
conditions to the Jirga to discuss it with the elders of Zallikhel tribe that
included unconditional release of detained tribesmen, arrest of the nominated
tribal people of Zallikhel tribe and handing over of the foreign nationals.
The Government will
pull them out by force if pointed out by the Zallikhel tribe, he added when
asked.
Response Awaited
He said, he has not yet
received response of the Zallikhel tribe on these conditions. However, he
hinted that some individual members of the jirga informed him that they were
asking for a temporary ceasefire so that they could get in the cardon areas.
In reply to a question
whether the Government would resort to temporary ceasefire, he said, it depend
on their response and on the commitment made by the jirga. He said, Army has
been called in support of the FC.
American Gunships
About the firing
incident by some American Gunship helicopters, he said, it occurred after four
p.m and outside the cordoned areas. The operation was halted at 4.p.m. on
Saturday.
In reply to a question,
Brig (r) Mehmud Shah said, initially the operation was to be completed in two
days but initiation of the political process i.e. Jirga has in fact slowed
down the operation in the targeted areas. However, he said, to clear the whole
areas of the wanted elements, it would take a month to complete.
Demolished Houses
To a question, he said,
he was not aware about the exact number of the houses demolished in the
operation. No casualty has so far been reported from the Frontier Corps, which
is under the command of the Governor NWFP, he told a questioner.
However, about the
casualties from the army, he said, he could not deliberate upon it, as DG ISPR
is the right person to answer it.
Tough Resistance
He said, Army had to be
called in aid of the FC following tough resistance by the embattled tribesmen.
In reply to a question,
he said, he could not exactly identify the number of national and foreigners
arrested in the operation. They are being sorted out, he elaborated.
To a question,
Brigadier Mehmud Shah said, "we were not expecting that much resistance, it
was beyond expectation." A limited wing of FC contingent in fact took part on
the first day of the operation to flush out the terrorists.
Foreigners
A spokesman of ISPR confirming about the recovery of the bodies said "bodies
of six miscreants have been recovered who all are foreigners."
The Pakistani troops
have been carrying out operation in west of Wana, South Waziristan Agency. The
area is just in the proximity of Pakistan-Afghanistan border comprising
difficult hilly terrain.
Giving details about
the operation, the spokesman said, in order to clear the area of foreign
fighters, search of some of the compounds has commenced. However, he added,
the cordon of the area continues to be unaffected.
400 Caged
He said that so far
over hundred miscreants have been rounded up during the operation that
includes locals and foreigners.
He said the exact
number of those miscreants who died during the operation cannot be ascertained
till the completion of the operation.
In the meantime, it was
learnt that the DNA tests of the recovered bodies would be carried out to
ascertain their identity.
Two days Ultimatum
An earlier report said
that Wana political administration has issued two days ultimatum to Zallikhel
tribe for release of its members and troops of the Frontier Corps.
In a Jirga held today
between the political administration of Wana and Zallikhel tribe lasted for
two hours, office bearers of the administration asked tribal chiefs of the
Zallikhel tribe to take immediate efforts for release of its members and
troops of the Frontier Corps.
They also demanded the
tribal lords to dispel those foreign terrorist who have taken refugee in the
area and hand over the wanted to the political administration without further
ado.
Tribal chiefs of the
Zallikhel tribe demanded firing to be stopped in the area so that they could
go in the area, where the terrorirts were hiding to have talks with them.
It was also reached in
the Jirga that prominent people belonging to the Zallikhel tribe would be
issued security passes and they would be allowed to go area through their
vehicles raising white flags where the military operation was continuing.
Recap
Use of artillery has been closed in Wana headquarter of South Waziristan where
military operation against foreign militants in the South Waziristan tribal
region goes on, said a report on Saturday.
Level of firing in the
region has dropped substantially since the Saturday evening, while the use of
artillery in the region has been petered out. The light firing throughout the
night was heard from the area.
Helicopters of Pakistan
military were patrolling overhead this morning in the area, whilst incidents
of shell-firing were also reported from an area near Azam Warsik.
Taliban Threat
Meanwhile, a report
from Afghanistan capital Kabul says that the Taliban have threatened to attack
US and Pakistani troops if they continue their offensive against fighters in
the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Arabic television station
al-Jazeera broadcast the threat by a man who claimed to be a Taliban
spokesman.
Troops have launched an
offensive from both sides of the Pakistan Afghanistan border against around
400 fighters who are said to be offering fierce resistance in the mountainous
region of Waziristan.
The Afghan army has
sent reinforcements to the area.
Some reports suggest
that Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's right-hand man, may be among the
fighters. But the Taliban say both al-Qaeda leaders are in Afghanistan. At
least 30,000 inhabitants of the mountainous region have fled the fighting.
22 March 2004
<http://www.pakistantimes.net/2004/03/22/top>
Elders Try to End Pakistan
Battle
Pakistani tribal elders have been continuing to try to secure the release of
14 officials and soldiers captured during a nine-day army offensive.
The
officials were taken at the start of the operation in South Waziristan in
which about 30 soldiers have died.
The
army operation is aimed against al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects and tribesmen
sheltering them.
On
Wednesday, four rockets hit the north-western town of Peshawar in what
appeared to be a retaliatory attack.
Tribal elders have been trying for three days to secure the release of the
officials and soldiers.
One
of the elders involved in the attempt, Malik Bakhan, told Reuters: "We're
forming a team to try to identify areas where the missing people can be found.
We'll also hold a jirga [tribal council] at which we will take some important
decisions."
Police killed
The
Pakistani military says it has surrounded hundreds of suspected militants in
mud-walled compounds, although officials believe some might have escaped.
More
than 100 tribesmen and foreigners have been arrested in the operation, the
army says.
The
rocket attack on Peshawar fuelled fears that opposition to the government's
operation might generate violence in other parts of Pakistan.
At
least three people were hurt by the rockets late on Tuesday in Peshawar, about
200 km (125 miles) northeast of Wana, which is at the centre of the fighting.
Also
on Tuesday, a bomb near a police post in Bannu, 150km southwest of Peshawar,
killed three policemen and a civilian.
Between 5,000 and 7,500 troops are tackling around 400 suspected militants and
their tribal supporters.
It
is the largest army operation in the tribal areas since Pakistani independence
in 1947.
Day of protest
Islamic political parties and tribal elders strongly oppose the action.
Bazar Gul, president of the tribal organisation the Khyber Union, said: "There
is a possibility of a tribal rebellion if the government continues with such
operations in the tribal zones."
Hundreds of protesters have rallied in Peshawar this week shouting "Stop the
Wana operation" and "Down with America".
The
Islamist coalition the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, which is the main power in
North West Frontier Province, is planning a national day of protest on Friday
against the Wana operation.
However, an army spokesman said it would continue pounding the area with
artillery until all the militants surrendered.
Earlier it was alleged that a senior al-Qaeda member was among those trapped,
but the authorities said on Monday that he may have escaped through a number
of tunnels.
Officials have been downplaying speculation that al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahri
could be trapped, saying it is more likely to be a senior Uzbek or Chechen
militant.
US-led forces are backing the Pakistani operation by patrolling the area on
the Afghan side of the border.
24 March 2004
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3563549.stm
The Wana Operation:
Pakistan Confronts Islamic
Militants In Waziristan
The
operation against presumed Al-Qaeda terrorists in Waziristan in Pakistan’s
Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) is far from over. The government
is determined that the operation will only end with the surrender, capture or
eviction of terrorists from the area. The Pakistani forces have achieved some
results, as the terrorists are now mostly using light weapons. The world’s
attention has been focused on this operation due to the possibility of the
presence of a “high-value target” in the area. Many tend to believe it is
Al-Qaeda two Dr Ayman Al-Zawahiri. It could also include leader of the Islamic
Movements of Uzbekistan.
BACKGROUND:
Since September 11, 2001 and the American attacks on Afghanistan, many have
claimed that South Waziristan, right across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border,
is a readily available hideout for Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces. Pakistan,
being a frontline state in this ongoing war against terrorism and a major U.S.
ally, seems now to be taking every step possible to root out terrorists from
this area. Since the beginning of 2004, Pakistani forces have operated in the
South Waziristan Agency against the terrorists, mainly in Wana. It should be
noted that this is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a military
presence of this magnitude has been seen in the FATA. Wana, capital of South
Waziristan, is only several miles away from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
It is mainly populated by the Ahmedzai Wazir tribe. This tribe consists of
nine sub-tribes or sections, the prime amongst them being the Zallikhel and
the Yargul khel.
The
operations began in the second half of January, when authorities received
reports that a number of Al Qaeda members could be hiding in the Klosha town.
Exchanges of fire took place, though no foreign suspects were found, according
to Pakistani Army spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan. Soon, an ultimatum
was given to the tribal jirga for handing over several individuals accused of
sheltering Al Qaeda figures. During the jirga, it was decided that a tribal
lashkar (paramilitary force) would be created to assist the security forces in
arresting the wanted. The joint efforts of the Pakistani forces and the tribal
leaders led to the surrender of more than twenty suspects.
While addressing a gathering of tribal elders on March 15, President Pervez
Musharraf said that there were 600 terrorists present in the area. These
include Arabs, Central Asians, as well as Afghans. He guaranteed that these
terrorists will not be handed over to any third country if they surrender. “If
the lashkar fails, then the Pakistani armed forces will take action”, he
added. Reports suggest that apart from two wings of the frontier corps (FC),
the Special service Group (SSG) is also active in the area; intelligence
networks have also been strengthened.
IMPLICATIONS:
The biggest ever-Pakistani operation in the tribal area is now under way.
Almost 5,000 troops are operating in the South Waziristan settlements of Azam
Warsak, Shin Warsak, and Klosha. The area witnessing most military
concentration has a perimeter of about 12-15 miles. The terrorists have used
heavy machine guns and are well entrenched in their hideouts. A number of
terrorists have been killed and captured during this ongoing operation. 123
people have been arrested, of which 68 are in the custody of the political
administration, whereas the rest are held by the Pakistan army. Government
sources claim to have received vital information from those captured, though
at the moment they are not ready to share it.
On March 18, Pakistani forces declared a temporary ceasefire, aimed at giving
tribal elders time to negotiate with the militants for their surrender. The
government has given three conditions to stop the operation: all held
personnel should be freed; all the wanted men should be handed over; all
foreigners should be told to leave the area, or their hideouts pointed out.
Major General Sultan said the operation would continue. “There is no ceasefire
except a halt in fire in the area where the jirga has gone to negotiate. This
operation will continue until all those wanted surrender or are captured or
evicted.” The jirga failed to produce any result up till now, and fighting is
still raging.
Six
bodies of fighters killed in the operation have been brought to Rawalpindi for
a DNA test to ascertain their identities. This has led to speculations about
the dead. The stiff resistance faced by the Pakistani forces and President
Musharraf’s statement on the eve of the operation that there is a high value
target present in the area led to speculations. Though Pakistani authorities
never claimed the presence of Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Al Qaeda
second-in-command, the global media is full of speculations on this account.
One
of the most eminent Afghanistan specialists, Rahimullah Yusufzai opines that
in keeping with past experience, Al-Zawahiri is unlikely to be there because
normally Bin Laden and Al-Zawahiri stick together. And if he is in the area,
according to him, there could be two explanations for this: “one, the two have
decided to stay separately so that one is able to survive and run Al Qaeda in
case the other is killed or captured. Two, that Bin Laden is long dead and
that is why Al-Zawahari is alone.” Other reports suggest the high value target
may be Tahir Yuldash, the leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
Over
the weekend, Brig (Retd) Mahmood Shah Secretary (Security) FATA told newsmen
that the Pakistani forces have found a telephone exchange and a two kilometer
long tunnel between the houses of two wanted men, Sharif Khan and Naik
Mohammad. Many think that at least some of the terrorists might have escaped
through these tunnels. According to Pakistani army source, the fighters are
facing a shortage of ammunition: heavy firing has almost entirely stopped and
they are only using light weapons.
CONCLUSIONS:
The still ongoing operation in Wana is the largest ever by Pakistani forces in
the tribal area. This operation is a clear indication of Islamabad’s will and
resolve to eliminate terrorists from its soil. The tribal area, however, is a
problematic area. Governments in the past neglected it, claiming that they are
preserving traditions. The area suffer from many problems of governance and
most parts of it lack even basic necessities of life, such as clean water,
hospitals, education etc. Interestingly the present government, with a new
vision and resolve, is undertaking development work in the area including
irrigation, roads, schools, and orchards for the development of the area and
the people. Achieving results in this operation is necessary, but developing
the area and providing the public with basic necessities of life, freedom of
choice and better facilities and opportunities is a high-value target in
itself and needs to be achieved.
AUTHOR’S BIO:
Rizwan Zeb is a Islamabad based Security Analyst and RCSS Mahbub-ul-Haq
Fellow. He is currently working on a book on Pakistan-Central Asia relations.
Rizwan Zeb, 24 March 2004
<http://www.cacianalyst.org/view_article.php?articleid=2232>
Pakistan Offensive 'Un-Islamic'
Opposition parties in Pakistan have condemned an ongoing military operation
against suspected al-Qaeda sympathisers in South Waziristan.
In a
heated debate in parliament on Thursday, they denounced the killing of Muslims
as an "un-Islamic act."
They
also alleged that innocent local tribesmen were being targeted.
Meanwhile there has been a relative lull in fighting near the town of Wana,
where a large number of militants are thought to be holed up.
'Defeated'
In
hard-hitting speeches, six religious opposition parties accused the government
of creating an "East Pakistan-like situation" in South Waziristan.
Military defeats in East Pakistan led to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
The
morale of our army has fallen and they are defeated even without a fight,"
said Qazi Hussain Ahmed, a spokesman for the alliance of six parties.
"Our
army is fighting without hesitation under American command," he said.
Mr
Ahmed warned that the country was entering a war that had no end, and that the
whole country was in the grip of uncertainty.
The
government denied accusations that local tribesmen were being targeted as
"unfounded", and insisted that the operation was only directed against foreign
militants who were using Pakistan as a base.
Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat said that the security forces were
determined to root out all those responsible for acts of terrorism.
"This operation will continue until we eliminate all terrorists," he said. "It
is not against Pakistanis but foreigners engaged in terrorism and those locals
who give them shelter."
Deadline ignored
Mr
Hayat said that at least 20 militants have been killed since the operation
began early last week, and the bodies of 30 more militants were lying in the
besieged area.
He
did not say how many soldiers had been killed but the number is believed to be
at least 30.
The
battle, involving around 5,000 troops is the biggest Pakistan has waged in its
semi-autonomous tribal areas, and comes after President Pervez Musharraf
escaped two attempts on his life that were blamed on Islamic militants.
Earlier on Thursday, a deadline issued by Pakistan for a group of fighters to
release 14 people they are holding near the Afghan border brought no response.
The
hostages were captured at the start of the operation in South Waziristan and
tribal elders trying to negotiate their release say that they need more time.
The
BBC's Haroon Rashid in Peshawar says there seems to be a reluctance by the
army to launch another full-scale offensive against the fighters following the
stiff resistance they offered during earlier assaults.
Talks between the two sides are continuing through a delegation of 50 tribal
elders made up of representatives from all the Federally Administered Tribal
Areas - a largely autonomous region along the Afghan border.
Another group of around 20 tribesmen from North Waziristan also says it is
playing a mediation role.
The
lack of military activity in South Waziristan is in contrast to the heavy
fighting in the area over the last 10 days.
The
army says it has surrounded hundreds of suspected militants in mud-walled
compounds, although officials believe some might have escaped.
It
says that 163 captured suspects are being interrogated to determine their
identities.
The
Islamist coalition the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, which is the main power in
North West Frontier Province, is planning a national day of protest on Friday
against the Wana operation.
25 March 2004
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3569359.stm>
Wana Operation: Al-Qaeda Spy Chief Killed
ISLAMABAD: The Chief of al-Qaeda
intelligence was killed during the recent operation in South Waziristan.
"It has also been
confirmed that Abdullah who was the chief of al-Qaeda intelligence was killed
in that operation," Director General ISPR, Major General Shaukat Sultan Monday
said at a foreign office briefing.
The DG ISPR said he did
not have any other details about the man, including his full name.
Details and Backdrop
ISPR
on Saturday had announced that Tahir Yoldeshev, one of the top al-Qaida
leaders had been injured during the operation and was now on the run and
hiding somewhere. He said according to independent sources, Yoldeshev was
number 10 in the al-Qaida hierarchy.
He
said the recent operations in South Waziristan Agency are part of Pakistan's
efforts to root out terrorism in all its manifestations from its territory.
"It
is a continuing effort by Pakistan against criminals, outlaws and terrorists
who have found sanctuary any where in Pakistan. The Government's commitment to
Pakistani society and International community to fight terrorism makes it
incumbent upon us to take on this menace frontally," he added.
The
DG ISPR said these extremist elements, though small in number, have a negative
impact on the society and create insecurity amongst the masses.
"We
can no longer ignore this problem and allow it to become a monster destroying
the fabric of our moderate society. We have to tackle it with firmness and
resolve," he added.
He
said during the ongoing efforts against terrorism in the country outlaws have
been apprehended from various parts of the country. Same efforts will continue
throughout the country including tribal areas till these areas were cleaned up
of all such elements, he added.
Maj.
Gen Shaukat Sultan said the army's entry into tribal areas has been openly
welcomed by all the tribes, they garlanded the soldiers and are cooperating in
the uplift of the area.
"Only certain delinquent individuals and foreign elements, where present, are
creating problems," he added.
He
said the recently concluded Wana Operation was part of Pakistan's resolve to
flush out miscreants and criminal elements from the territory. He said the
focus was on foreign elements.
As
regards the locals, he hoped most of problems could be resolved through a
political process, socio-economic uplift and giving access to backward areas
to amenities of life and national mainstream. "Use of force is certainly the
last resort," he added.
Objectives
He said in this particular operation the objectives were largely achieved that
included destruction of a major terrorist stronghold, defense works like
tunnels, trenches, towers, communication system.
Secondly, he said most of the miscreants were killed, captured or dispersed in
small groups and local facilitator of the terrorists have been uncovered. A
sizeable quantity of arms and ammunition has also been captured, he added.
The
DG ISPR said, 63 miscreants have been killed and 163 arrested which include 73
foreigners and 94 locals. Killing of 63 miscreants including local and foreign
militants have been confirmed through radio intercepts and the investigation
of arrested persons, he added.
He
said it was also verified through radio intercepts that 26 burials were
carried out by the suspected terrorists on the first day of the Operation
March 16.
Responding to a question, he said 45 jawans of the military and paramilitary
troops embraced "Shahadat" and 26 others were wounded during the operation. He
acknowledged the casualties were high but added it was a kind of an operation
where forces could not use all optimum fire power to avoid collateral damage.
DG
ISPR on Wana Ops
DG
ISPR, about killing of innocent persons in the Wana operation, said the forces
had given four hours to the people of the area to vacate the area and they did
go. He said later all efforts were made not to fire onto the houses and people
till the time the security forces were fired upon. However, he said, chances
of innocent people being hit could not be ruled out.
He
said no tribe opposed entry of army into the area and there were only few
individuals.
About the handing over of the arrested foreign suspects to the United States,
he said they would be first investigated in the country. He however recalled
that the government had said that they would be dealt with under the country's
law.
DG
ISPR also stated, when asked, that he did not manhandle a cameraman and only
stopped him from committing an unethical journalist act in South Waziristan.
He said all were told not to photograph prisoners from close distance from
security point of view. "Had any thing happened to that cameraman who would
have been responsible for them?," he asked.
He
also categorically stated that all 12 paramilitary troops captured were
released unconditionally and there was no quid pro quo.
Extremism
Masood Khan while responding to a question dispelled the
impression that operation against terrorists were being carried out under any
external pressure. He said it was in country's own national interests to root
out extremism and terrorism from the society. "The objective is to eliminate
terrorism from Pakistani soil, and all those on the run and hiding cannot hold
our tribal areas hostage," he added.
He
said those in hiding and their foreign intruders would be denied sanctuaries
in the country in all circumstances.
Foreign Intruders
Maj.
Gen. Shaukat Sultan also observed that not all foreign intruders in the area
were living with the connivance of the local people.
"Some of them living here forcibly and some of them are offering rent as high
as 500 dollars a month for a compound they are hiding, so some of them are
offering money to the locals who live over there," he added.
Tributes
The DG ISPR paid rich tributes to soldiers who took part in the operation
and laid down their lives for a national cause. "They remained steadfast in
spite of the hardship and setbacks and fought valiantly to accomplish the
mission," he added.
He
said, the security forces both paramilitary and the Army would remain combat
ready in respective areas of responsibilities to launch operation wherever it
was essential in future to ensure that area was cleaned up, the people there
were not hostage to foreign elements and the writ of the state was maintained
and tribes lived in peace and harmony.
14
Bodies Found
Fourteen bodies, reportedly two of officials, eight children and four women
were found on Monday as the troops lifted the 11-day siege of some 60 square
mile area, news agency INP reports.
Condition of bodies indicates that these people were killed about a week ago.
Yet,
it could not be confirmed officially that the bodies also included of those
who were made hostage at the start of operation.
However, the two officials who were expected to be released on Monday had been
killed on the day they were made hostage by the militants, the news agency
quotes a tribal elder as saying.
The
bodies were found by the elders of tribal Jirga which was on a visit of the
area to inspect the damages caused during the operation.
The
bodies were recovered a day after troops began withdrawal from Klosha, Azam
Warsak and Shin Warsak near Wana, headquarter of South Waziristan Agency after
the release 12 soldiers taken hostage by millitents during the operation
30 March 2004
<http://www.pakistantimes.net/2004/03/30/top.htm>
Govt May Start Another Operation In Wana: Faisal
*
MMA government informed about operation
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat on Tuesday said terrorists
were still in the tribal areas and the Army would conduct another operation to
flush them out if tribal leaders failed to turn them over to the authorities.
“We
gave another chance to peace because parliamentarians from the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) had promised to assist the government in
arresting the terrorists,” Mr Hayat told journalists after briefing a National
Assembly standing committee on the Wana operation. Inter Services Public
Relations Director General Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan, National Crisis Management
Center (NCMC) Director General Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema, and FATA
Secretariat Secretary Mahmood Shah also briefed the committee about the Wana
operation. Mr Hayat called the Wana operation a success and said 63 terrorists
were killed in the operation.
“We
have destroyed their hideouts and terrorists are on the run,” he said. Besides
16 members of the committee, 12 FATA legislators and opposition members
including Tehmina Daultana, Naheed Khan, Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and Farid
Ahmad Piracha also attended the briefing. Mr Hayat denied that the MMA
government was not informed about the operation, saying such reports were
baseless. “I discussed the operation with NWFP Chief Minister NWFP Akram Khan
Durrani on many occasions,” the minister said. “Although FATA is under the
federal government’s control, it still discussed the matter with Mr Durrani,”
he added.
“We
are shocked to know that the government had been in touch with the MMA
government over the Wana operation, Ms Daultana (PML-N) told Daily Times after
the briefing. She said that opposition legislators called on the government to
choose dialogue instead of the military action to resolve the crisis. She said
the military operation could arouse rebellion among tribesmen.
Mr
Hayat said that troops had recovered a large quantity of arms cache from the
terrorists. Three FATA parliamentarians walked out of the meeting, saying the
government did not consult them before the operation. Mr Hayat said Wana had
become fertile ground for terrorists. He said suicide attacks on President
Musharraf and other terrorist acts had been planned in Wana.
31 March 2004
<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_31-3-2004_pg7_10>
No
Troops Pullout from WANA Till Terrorists’
Elimination: President
Says al-Qaeda re-organization in SWA crushed for good - Terms
al-Qaeda a crystal clear terror outfit that is following a non religious
agenda - Says terrorists have three options of surrendering, leaving Pak
territory or getting killed - Says foreign terrorists using Pak soil to
destabilize West - Snubs Qazi, Khursheed, Imran Khan for twisting, exploiting
national issues - Rules out foreign pressure for Wana operation, surrendering
nuke, missile programmes - Announces making more nukes, conducting further
missile tests - Expects steady development in Pak-India relations - Strongly
rejects any compromise on Kashmir
RAWALPINDI—President General Pervez Musharraf has categorically stated that
Pak Army troops would not be pulled out of the anti terrorist operation that
they have launched in Wana in accordance with the global anti-terror drive,
until that part of country is made completely clear of all sorts of foreign
extremists and terrorists who were using the Pak soil to fulfil their
political agenda against the West and the US, hiding behind the notions of
Jihad.
Speaking at the recording of a special episode of PTV's hot shot programme
News night here at the Army House on Tuesday evening, the President said that
such elements were having no religious agenda or obligations but were simply
following their political agendas and were thus causing a great harm to Islam
and its ideology. Offering once again that no surrendering foreign terrorists
would be handed over to any foreign country the President made it clear to the
Wana hiding foreign elements that they had only three options including a
volunteer surrender, leaving Pak territory for good or getting ready to be
killed. He said the operation in Wana was initiated to appease any foreign
government at all but in fact such terrorists' presence in the area was just
like a ticking time bomb. He said that such elements were getting re-organized
in this part of Pakistan to spread terror not only inside Pakistan but across
the world. The President said that according to the intelligence
investigations of the Spanish government, it was al-Qaeda that was involved in
the deadly Madrid bombing. Coming hard and rough on Qazi Hussain Ahmad,
Professor Khursheed and Imran Khan, the President said that such political
leaders were just playing for the gallery and were exploiting and twisting the
most sensitive national issues. Deploring irresponsible statements of Imran
Khan and Qazi Hussain Ahmad, the President said that they know very well what
the al-Qaeda terrorists were doing inside Pakistan but these leaders were
repeatedly declaring them as innocent Muslims. He said that since the nation
was marching on the road to enlightened moderation, masses rejected all the
farcical calls made by such leaders to participate in anti-Wana operation
drives. He urged upon these leaders to behave with maturity and to show some
sense of national responsibility.
Brushing aside any foreign pressure over launching of Wana operation or
surrendering nuclear or Missile programmes, the President said that it was
just ridiculous. He said that even after the proliferation issue Pakistan
openly conducted a successful test of Shaheen II Missile and will carry out
more Missile tests in future. He said that Pakistan will also continue to
produce more nukes to maintain minimum deterrence in line with the national
defence needs and requirements. To a question about relations with India, the
President said that relations were gradually improving as dialogue process as
well as the Confidence Building Measures' processes were going on steadily.
He
however made it crystal clear that there would be no compromise on Kashmir. He
said that though he had been talking about flexibility and need to move a bit
from the respective Pak-India stance over the issue but it did not mean that
it will have to end up in some compromise over Kashmir.
Agencies add: President General Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday said that the Wana
operation was not ended and it would continue till the complete elimination of
terrorists from the tribal areas. Talking to media persons at the Army House
in Rawalpindi, the President said that the troops deployed in Wana, South
Waziristan Agency would not be called back and they would remain their until
the whole area is cleansed of the terrorists. He said that the terrorists have
only two options: surrender or leave Pakistan.
The
President reiterated that the terrorists would not be handed over to any other
country if they surrender. The president said that the government would
continue the operation with full force to flush out the terrorists from
Pakistan. We will use Army, FC and local paramilitary forces against the
terrorist and their supports, he added. “We will not be blackmailed by the
terrorists,” he said. Terming Al-Qaeda No. 2 Ayman Al-Zawahiri as a terrorist,
the President said he had nothing to do with Jihad.
31 March, 2004
<http://dailymailnews.com/200403/31/news/101.html>
Shakai Next Target for Military Operation
*
Dollars played major role in fighters’ escape
* Abdullah was the money transfer supervisor
* Zawahri escaped due to intelligence failure
* Arabs had offered to surrender
* Maliks did not pass money to tribes
LAHORE: Most Arab Al Qaeda terrorists had fled Wana before the military
operation began, buying their exit with dollars, sources told Daily Times.
Sources said an Arab named Abdullah, the declared Al Qaeda intelligence head -
killed during the operation - was the money transfer agent for his
organization.
But
as far as Al Qaeda top leader Ayman al Zawahri was concerned, sources told
Daily Times, two low-ranking intelligence officials were taken into custody on
suspicion that they had helped him escape.
Official, jihadi and local sources also told Daily Times that Shakai village
near Wana would be the next target of a military operation for reportedly
sheltering Al Qaeda, Taliban and rebel tribal leaders.
Why
Qaeda chose the tribal areas: Hundreds of Qaeda and Taliban fighters had
crossed into the Pakistan from Afghanistan after the heavy bombardment by the
US coalition forces of their main hideouts in Tora Bora. Around 1600
terrorists and their families are reported to have arrived in groups. One
group stayed in Noshera, another in Dera Ismail Khan and the third at the
Jalaludin Haqani seminary in Miran Shah. American Taliban John Walker and
around fifty British, European and American Qaeda terrorists were among them.
Out of four that came, two groups were led by Taliban commanders Malik Janan
and Commander Sheraz.
According to sources, the Arabs who had the money managed to settle in these
areas while sending their families, especially women and children, to their
native countries through agents. Mostly these agents were from the tribal
areas and they provided this facility for US$2000 per person. Qaddafi
International Foundation and Javed Ibraheem Paracha, a Muslim League leader
from NWFP, are alleged to have helped send the Arabs’ families abroad.
Sources said terrorists from China, Chechnya, Tajikistan and other central
Asian states and Arabs preferred to stay in the tribal areas also because
local tribes sheltered them, albeit for US$100 to 300 a week.
The
Arabs scattered in Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Kashmir and other parts of
Pakistan while the Uzbeks, Chechens and Chinese stayed in the tribal areas and
paid $100 to 300 a week. Khalid Al Zawahri stayed here near “Red Mountain” in
Waziristan for around a year with his companions.
“Tribes cooperated with the fighters in sympathy as well as for money. However
not all tribes cooperated with them. When the fourth Qaeda group of 120
fighters entered Kurram Agency from Tora Bora, the Mangial tribe arrested
these fighters and robbed them of their valuables and weapons, while they
later returned in exchange for large sums of money.
Chinese fighters did not have enough money and most of the foreigners killed
in the operation were from this group, sources said.
Sources said there were a few Arab families already in the area but these had
no direct links with Al Qaeda. “These are settlers in tribal areas on both
sides of the Durand Line doing charity work”, sources said. They were not
militant in the Taliban era either, but the US is not differentiating between
Al Qaeda and these Arabs after 9/11”, sources said.
The
Arab and the Uzbek fighters had also told the tribal jirga that they were
ready to go to the militants’ hideouts in South Waziristan to negotiate the
release of 14 Pakistani government personnel on March 26 and that they were
prepared to surrender if the United Nations guaranteed that they would not be
handed over to the US forces”, sources from Wana said, but the Pakistan Army
had rejected the offer. “Pakistani officials believed this to be an Al Qaeda
trap and they knew the UN would not get involved in the operation”, sources
referring to the talks with an Army official said.
Intelligence network in tribal areas: Initially Pakistan did not have enough
information about Qaeda and Taliban fighters to take serious notice of them
because Pakistani intelligence agencies did not have an adequate network of
ground intelligence in these areas and depended mostly on their agents in the
field. But American intelligence was continuously getting reports from its own
sources in the tribes and from Afghanistan that Al Qaeda fighters are
gathering in these areas.
The
Pakistani government did not relish the idea of stern action against the Al
Qaeda fighters in the area because of the sensitivity of the area but to
please the US, the Pakistani government distributed huge sums of money on the
recommendation of the political agents to the Maliks (leaders) of the tribes
as bribes to families to betray the Al Qaeda fighters they sheltered, sources
said. But the Maliks kept the money for themselves.
Things became serious with reports that Qaeda and Taliban leaders had
converged on Waziristan. Osama Bin Laden, Mulla Omar, Hizb-e-Islami leader
Gulbadin Hekmatyar and other top leaders were reportedly seen in this area
while Pakistani and Afghan jihadi organizations had begun recruiting men from
these areas and establish mobile training camps.
The
first camp was in Kurram Agency, in the area “Haji Maidan”, by the
Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Isalmi (HJI) from where on November 4, 2002 a rocket was
fired at the American base in Afghanistan near the border and a US helicopter
struck the area with rockets.
On
September 5, 2002 a tribe in Bannu forced the Pakistani army to release 6
prisoners arrested for alleged links with Al Qaeda. This was alarming enough
for the Pakistan Army but when from Dara Aka Khel in North Waziristan a Wazri
sub tribe helped Al Qaeda fighters attack an American forces camp in Dara and
kidnapped 5 American troops in July 2003, the Pakistan Army launched its first
major military operation against the tribes.
This
operation took three days but the Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR)
declared the operation “routine military exercises”, sources said.
The
need for action against these elements saw Operation Mountain Lions put into
action in October 2003, in which 13 Qaeda fighters, tribesmen and Frontier
Constabulary (FC) men were killed, sources said.
The
first solid information about the presence of foreign militants came to the
surface when a lady from an NWFP government department, one tehsildar and an
intelligence official visited Azam Warsik and they saw a Chechnyan women in a
veil with a hand-grenade.
Sources also claimed that the militants did not in fact dig the Klosha village
tunnels to escape. “Such tunnels are everywhere in Wana. Only those who don’t
know our area could make such funny claims,” sources said.
Local sources say American forces did not participate in the operation but had
a satellite center in Wana operated by 12 Americans.
3 April 2004
<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_3-4-2004_pg7_40>
Old Lessons Renewed
Pakistan finds it hard going in the tribal areas, reports
Iffat Idris from Islamabad
British ruled the Indian subcontinent for over 200 years, but
the one part they were never able to control was the tribal areas of the
northwest. After several very bloody attempts to win the region in battle,
they gave up and opted to allow the tribal people autonomy in return for their
cooperation. Post- independence Pakistan adopted the same policy. The tribal
people cooperated with the federally appointed Political Agent and were
allowed to retain their autonomy.
In
recent weeks, however, the Musharraf government has attempted what the British
tried and failed: to assert its will through military force. So far it is
being meted the same lesson as previous British would-be occupiers.
The
military operation in the South Waziristan region of the tribal areas started
in mid-March. The Pakistan army's objective was to capture and kill foreign
militants believed to be hiding in the area, amid local supporters. The
operation was launched after local leaders failed to surrender a number of
wanted people by the deadline imposed by the army. Fighting has been extremely
fierce, focussed around the town of Wana. To date the Pakistanis have captured
some 163 foreign militants -- Arabs, Chechens, Afghans and others. But that
success has come at a heavy price.
The
Pakistan army is not releasing its own casualty figures until after the
operation is completed, but it has clearly been badly hit. Estimates up to
last Friday put the army's losses at around 30 (this in the space of just a
couple of weeks). An ambush on a supply convoy killed 11 soldiers. A further
eight were taken hostage. On Friday local people made the grim discovery of
their bodies. They had apparently been killed in cold blood. Their fate does
not bode well for another 14 army and paramilitary hostages, seized at the
beginning of the Wana operation.
Over
the past few days, the fighting has become less intense as the army appears
wary of launching further offensives -- hardly surprising, given its massive
losses. Instead, it seems to be returning to the traditional way of working
through local leaders. A jirga (council) of leaders from across the
tribal areas has been negotiating with the army and Political Agent on one
side, and the concerned tribes on the other.
The
biggest stumbling block to any agreement appears to be the demand by tribal
leaders in South Waziristan for the army to pull out, or at least to lift the
cordon that the army has set up in the area. There is also local resentment
over the disruption in people's lives -- over 100,000 residents have
temporarily moved out of the area -- and over the loss of civilian life. A
final factor is local sympathy for the militants' anti-US cause.
The
Corps Commander of Peshawar, Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain told a leading
English-language newspaper that he expected the military operation to be wound
up by last Saturday. Given the execution of eight Pakistani hostages, and the
uncertain fate of the remaining 14, that has been impossible, and even a
wind-up in the next few days appears unlikely. In addition, the US is sending
a further 2,000 troops to the Afghan side of the border to hunt for Al-Qa'eda.
It will definitely want the Pakistanis to remain in place on their side.
For
the government, there are worrying signs that unrest is spreading further from
South Waziristan. One day after the ambush of a supply convoy, militants
launched a rocket attack on a military camp in the Kurram Agency (also in the
federally administered tribal areas). Three soldiers were killed and four
others wounded. Rocket attacks on targets in Peshawar pose a potentially
bigger threat. Targeting the Judicial Complex and the headquarters of the
Frontier Corps represents a dramatic escalation in fighting by the militants
-- taking the battle from remote tribal areas to the provincial capital.
The
rising army death toll, together with signs of the fighting spreading to other
parts of the province, is causing alarm across the country. A debate in the
National Assembly on Thursday condemned the operation. Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman,
one of the leaders of the Islamist Muttahida Mujlis-e-Amal (MMA), attacked the
president: "Musharraf is a stooge of America and he has forced the army to
kill Muslims in South Waziristan to please his masters." Qazi Hussain Ahmed,
another MMA leader, warned that the whole northern region could revolt: "We
have plunged into a war which has no end."
The
MMA declared Friday a national day of protest against the Wana operation.
Small-scale rallies were held across the country, in which speaker after
speaker condemned the offensive as being carried out at America's behest,
leading to local Muslims being killed and threatening the stability of the
entire country. Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat defended the government's
actions: "It is not against Pakistanis but foreigners engaged in terrorism and
those locals who gave them shelter."
Many
of those who criticise the South Waziristan offensive say the government
should have adopted the traditional "negotiate through the jirga "
approach from day one. Even if military force had to be used, the operation
should have been well planned and thought through. Sources claim the army
rushed into action without the necessary preparation, because they wanted to
impress US Secretary of State Colin Powell -- visiting Pakistan just as the
offensive was launched. The high army body-bag toll is partially blamed on
that initial haste.
When
the operation started President Pervez Musharraf hinted in a CNN interview
that the army had encircled a "high value target". His words led to massive
speculation that Al- Qa'eda's number two man, Ayman El-Zawahri, was about to
be caught. Now the Pakistanis are conceding there is little chance of finding
El-Zawahri. They suggest he could have escaped the cordoned area using one of
a number of underground tunnels in the region. Pakistan's Inter-Services
Public Relations (ISPR) claimed, however, that another Al-Qa'eda leader, Tahir
Yoldeshev, had been badly injured in the fighting.
Zawahri might not have been caught -- indeed, might not even have been near
Wana -- but that does not mean he is happy. On Friday an audiotape,
purportedly from El-Zawahri, condemned the Pakistani president and called on
the people of Pakistan to overthrow and kill him. "I call on Muslims in
Pakistan to get rid of their government which is working for Americans." The
person on the tape also urged Pakistani soldiers to "disobey orders" and stage
a coup d'etat.
The
Pakistan government was quick to denounce the Al- Qa'eda tape, which analysis
suggests was indeed recorded by Ayman El-Zawahri. Information Minister Sheikh
Rashid Ahmed stressed, "Pakistan does not take orders from anybody. The entire
nation is fully behind the policies of President Pervez Musharraf."
The
president himself made clear his determination to "eliminate Al-Qa'eda from
the region". Speaking at a college function in Abbotabad, he nonetheless was
careful to underline that, "These are people who are carrying out acts of
terrorism, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims that is not the issue at
all." He went on to accuse the militants in the tribal areas of masterminding
terrorist acts in Pakistan, including the recent attempts on his own life.
Musharraf made the commitment that "the writ of the government will be
established". Like the British 200 years ago, many Pakistanis are asking
whether achieving that goal is worth the price.
1-7 April 2004
<http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/684/in5.htm>
WANA, Waziristan Province, Pakistan
On
March 17, 2004, unconfirmed reports suggested the possibility that a 'high
value target' and several hundred Al Quaeda affiliated militants had been
surrounded as the result of a ongoing military operations by Pakistani
security forces in the western, tribal areas of Pakistan. Initial reports
suggested that, based on the fierce resistance encountered, the 'high value
target' might be Osama bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahri, though Pakistani
authorities later backed away from that claim.
Wana
is located about 17 miles from the Afghan/Pakistan border on the eastern edge
of a valley approximately 4,500 feet in elevation. The farming village of
Klosha is located about 10 miles east of the Afghan/Pakistan border, and is
surrounded to the East, North and west by three mountains ranging from 7,000
to about 10,00 feet in elevation.
Initial press reports suggested Pakistani troops encountering resitance from
fighters dug in a series of mud-walled compounds, 'fort-like buildings', in
the farming village of Klosha located about 6 miles west of the town of Wana,
the capital of the southern Waziristan tribal province in western Pakistan.
Military operations were also being conducted at the same time near the towns
of Azam Warsak, Shin Warsak and Klosha in S. Waziristan as well as in N.
Waziristan.
10 April 2004
<http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/pakistan/wana.htm>
All Quiet on the North-Western Front
The Pakistan army's agreement with the tribesmen of Waziristan engenders peace
- or is it merely a cease fire?
After
months of bloody confrontation and the loss of more than 120 lives, the
Pakistan army and pro-Taliban Islamic militants in South Waziristan finally
made peace with each other in late April. The unwritten agreement, which
silenced the guns and restored peace in the Wana valley is still holding, but
the contentious issue of the non-Pakistanis allegedly hiding in the area could
cause it to snap.
The army commanders and the militants resisted the temptation to
declare victory after concluding the agreement. Rather, both took pains to
describe it as a reconciliation between estranged brothers. However, partisans
of both parties lost no time in proclaiming victory for their respective sides
and launching a diatribe against each other. The MMA leaders, who backed the
militants and were critical of the military operation in South Waziristan,
contended that those on the army's wanted list meant no harm to Pakistan and
it would be wiser to befriend them rather than turning them into outlaws.
Federal Information Minister, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, and Interior Minister,
Faisal Saleh Hayat, who played no role in forging the peace agreement, claimed
that the government had achieved all its objectives by forcing the five most
wanted tribal militants to surrender and flushing out the so-called" foreign
terrorists" from their stronghold in the Azam Warsak area near Wana.
Predictably, their claims provoked the militants and one of them, Maulana
Mohammad Abbas, issued a statement to remind the ministers to check their
facts with the military authorities before "opening their mouths."
The tit for tat notwithstanding, most tribes people in the seven
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), including South Waziristan, and
the several frontier regions of the NWFP welcomed the reconciliation. The
fighting around Wana had spread to other parts of South Waziristan and
military convoys and installations had been attacked in North Waziristan and
the Kurram tribal agency as well. Peshawar too was attacked with rockets,
apparently fired from the nearby Khyber agency. It was the first time that the
city, which had suffered frequent bomb explosions while serving as the
headquarters of the Afghan "jihad" during the 1980s and early 1990s, was
rocketed. The fallout of the Wana conflict was increasingly being felt beyond
FATA.
Supporters of the MMA and PML-N, the most vocal and bitter critics
of the Wana military operation, also felt relieved when the soldiers and the
militants publicly embraced each other at Shakai, a remote, mountainous
village in South Waziristan. The thought that Muslims and Pakistanis were
killing each other had made them sad and angry. In their view, the military
action was being dictated by the US and was endangering the unity of the
country.
The PPP, ANP and other secular and nationalist parties also
criticised the Wana military operation but, unlike the MMA, their sympathies
didn't lie with the militants. Rather, one of the major objectives of these
parties while criticising the military action in Wana was to condemn the
President, General Pervez Musharraf, and Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali's
government. As usual, the political parties based their reaction to the Wana
operation on their respective political stances towards President Musharraf.
There was no inclination or effort to objectively analyse the Wana situation
and respond to it in a manner that served the much-abused national interest.
Far more important for the government was the international, or
rather the US reaction to the Shakai agreement. After a cautious response by
the US military spokesman in Afghanistan, Lt Colonel Matt Beevers, in which he
welcomed the political process as a means to an end in tackling the problem of
Al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects in South Waziristan, his boss, General David
Barno, came up with a tough statement expressing concern over the amnesty
offered by the Pakistan government to the foreign militants reportedly hiding
in the area. He said the US expected action by the Pakistan army against the
Al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects. Coming on the heels of aggressive statements by
Zalmay Khalilzad, the US ambassador to Afghanistan, in which he questioned
Pakistan's commitment to hunt down Taliban fighters operating from Pakistan's
border areas, it was obvious that Washington was exerting pressure on
Islamabad to do more in America's war on terror.
However, one had to weigh this tough public posture by
Washington's men on the spot in Afghanistan by comparing it with the frequent
praise that top US government functionaries, ranging from President George W.
Bush to Foreign Secretary Colin Powell and from Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld to Deputy Foreign Secretary Richard Armitage, shower on Pakistan and
President Musharraf on account of his contribution to the war on terror. No
doubt that it is a calculated policy aimed at keeping Pakistan in good humour
as well as under constant pressure. Moreover, one is aware that a few days
before his outburst against Pakistan, General Barno rang up Corps Commander
Peshawar, Lt. Gen. Safdar Hussain, to congratulate and thank him for
formulating a policy that would isolate Al-Qaeda by draining it of its local
support in South Waziristan. In fact, the US general reportedly told his
Pakistani counterpart that there had been no cross-border raid by
Pakistan-based militants in Afghanistan for more than three weeks after the
army operation and the initiation of the reconciliation process in South
Waziristan.
Lt. Gen. Safdar Hussain, who served in the ISI's analysis wing
before his promotion and appointment as Corps Commander Peshawar, is very
optimistic about the success of his political-military strategy in regard to
dealing with homegrown Islamic militants and their foreign guests in South
Waziristan. He had barely taken over when the government asked him to send his
troops to South Waziristan to deal with the militants after they had routed
and killed 15 militiamen from the paramilitary Frontier Corps in an ambush
near Azam Warsak.
As he kept losing soldiers in combat with the battle-hardened
tribal militants and the collateral damage caused by the military operation
increasingly engendered the ire of the tribesmen against the army, the Corps
Commander reflected on how he could win the trust of the tribes people. He
realised pushing a development agenda - i.e. bringing schools, clinics, roads,
electricity and enlightenment to the under-developed and conservative tribal
areas such as South Waziristan - would be a vital step in that direction.
Furthermore, it would deny the militants favourable conditions for their
sustenance.
The militants recognised that real power in the country was
wielded only by the Pakistan army and it could be expected to deliver on its
promises. Besides, they trusted no one else. The corps commander also realised
the compulsions of the militants, who wanted a face-saving agreement after
having declared "jihad" against the Musharraf government.
The amnesty offered to Nek Mohammad and the remaining most-wanted
tribesmen - Sharif Khan, Noor Islam, Maulana Mohammad Abbas and Maulana Abdul
Aziz - was aimed at weaning them away from the non-Pakistanis allegedly linked
with Al-Qaeda and Taliban. Two pro-MMA MNAs from South Waziristan, Maulana
Merajuddin Qureshi and Maulana Abdul Malik Wazir, were requested to serve as
mediators because they shared a pro-Taliban ideology with the tribal
militants. The militants until then had refused to strike a deal through the
many tribal jirgas that had attempted to make them surrender to the military
authorities in return for amnesty. Aware of the sensitivities of Nek Mohammad
and his tribal militants, the corps commander agreed not to refer to the
Shakai jirga as "surrender" and instead described it as "reconciliation."
Also, the militants did not lay down arms. Rather, they presented an array of
gifts, including an old sword, Waziristani daggers, prayer mats, "maswak"
(wooden tooth brush) and "tasbeeh" (prayer beads) to the corps commander and
other civil and military officers who accompanied him to Shakai.
There is no doubt that the 27-year-old Nek Mohammad emerged as a
hero in the wake of the Shakai agreement. The young man, with his flowing hair
and beard and piercing eyes, earned nation-wide recognition when he recited an
Urdu couplet before making a spirited speech at Shakai to the applause of his
armed men. His supporters credit him with putting up a tough fight against the
Pakistan army and then forcing it to strike a deal with him on his terms.
Though he promised not to fight the army or harbour foreigners again in return
for amnesty, he managed simultaneously to prevail upon the government to
release the 163 local tribesmen and Afghan refugees arrested by the military
during the Wana operation in March, compensate all those tribesmen whose homes
were demolished or damaged in the fighting and provide more money for
development work in South Waziristan. More importantly, he and his men are
maintaining that they made no promise to deliver the wanted non-Pakistanis to
the government.
This indeed could threaten the vague agreement that was concluded
at Shakai. The army want help from Nek Mohammad and his supporters to convince
the foreigners to register and seek amnesty in return for a promise not to use
Pakistan's territory for attacks against any other country, including
Afghanistan and the US. Military officials believe they would be able to
neutralise the foreigners through their offer of amnesty as they have done in
case of the tribal militants such as Nek Mohammad.
One will have to wait and see whether the military's optimism is
realistic or misplaced. Following the hoped-for neutralisation of Pakistani
tribal militants, the registration of the foreigners and their numbers and
level of importance would be the second yardstick to measure the success of
the army's political-military strategy in South Waziristan and the rest of the
tribal areas.
<http://www.newsline.com.pk/NewsMay2004/newsbeat1may.htm>
Shakai Operation Completed: Sultan
Islamabad—Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Major General
Shaukat Sultan said Sunday that operation in Shakai has been completed saying
security forces now control the area.
Addressing a news conference here, Sultan said, “two security men and 20
terrorists were killed in this operation. Now the operation is complete”.
He
said the operation was started on June 11. He said the troops have
consolidated their positions in rugged tribal terrain near the Afghan border
after two days of ground and air offensives against Al-Qaeda-linked militants.
Some
300 to 400 mainly Chechen and Uzbek Al-Qaeda-linked militants are believed to
be hiding in Pakistan regions bordering Afghanistan. Arabs and Chinese Uighurs
are also said to be among them. The March operation, Pakistan’s biggest
against the militants, was criticised for failing to drive foreign fighters
from the area and resulting in heavy government casualties.
The
government abandoned the offensive and started political negotiations to
convince the fighters to lay down arms and register with authorities in return
for amnesty. But they refused to register. Sultan reiterated the government’s
“firm commitment” to continue fight against terrorism.
He
said foreign elements had been operating with the help of a small clan.
“They are not only involved in terror activities in Pakistan but also carrying
out their nefarious activities outside the country,” he said. “We are fully
aware of the safety and security of the peace-loving people in the area and
due to this reason extreme steps are being avoided,” he said. “However, the
government is fully determined to deal with foreign terrorists in a firm
manner.”
“Troops backed by gunship helicopters attacked hideouts of Al-Qaeda-linked
foreign militants in a tribal region near the Afghan border. Some 35
terrorists were killed”, he said.
He
said the aircraft pounded hideouts in the Shakai area near South Waziristan
tribal district capital Wana, where clashes left 35 militants and 15 troops
dead.
“Army helicopters have pounded the hideouts of foreign militants after which
troops landed from helicopters and launched ground operations to capture
militants,” Sultan said. “It is a major offensive.” He said that the
government offered amnesty to the militants under “Shakai Agreement”, which
was abused by some “foreign elements”.
ISPR
spokesman said, locals of Shakai village have heaved a sigh of relief over
this success of security forces as they look forward to a peaceful life and
development of their area. APP.
2 June 2004
<http://pakobserver.net/200406/14/view/default2.asp?page=1&id=9&subject=Front%20Page
%20-%20Complete%20Story>
WANA Search Operation HR Violation, says HRCP
ISLAMABAD: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has said that
house-to-house search being conducted in Shakai area to arrest alleged
al-Qaeda terrorists is violation of fundamental rights of the citizens.
The
former President of HRCP Afrasyab Khattak told BBC that there is an human
aspect of the Wana operation because thousands of people have been made
homeless due to this operation in South Waziristan.
He
said that it is a principle that the disease of the patient is treated instead
of killing him.
He
recalled that the governments have allowed the foreigners to live in the area
and now they are telling the tribesmen that they are terrorists. He said the
government should persuade them through awareness that these foreigners are
harmful to the country and the area.
Khattak said, “Our rulers are playing games to please both God and United
States, and that General Pervez Musharraf government is fond of dual
policies.”
He
said that it is not possible that such a large number of foreigners are living
in the area without the knowledge and consent of the political administration
of these areas. It is tradition of these areas to protect their guests and
they can do anything for it, Afrasyab concluded
4 June 2004
<http://www.pakistanlink.com/headlines/June04/11/05.html>
Eight Foreigners Killed in Clash with Pakistani Forces
At least eight foreigners were killed in exchange of firing
with Pakistani security forces in the country's semi-autonomous tribal region
along the border with Afghanistan on Wednesday, a senior government official
said.
The clash took place after the foreigners fired rockets on
several military posts and an army colony in South Waziristan, security chief
in the tribal region Brigadier Mehmood Shah said.
"The Pakistani forces had also air support during the
operation," Shah said, adding that there was no casualty on part of Pakistan's
paramilitary militia.
Shah
said the exchange of firing is still continuing and the foreigners had taken
shelter in a house and fired rockets on military posts and a colony.
Earlier army spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said that unidentified men
fired rockets on military posts in the tribal region, but no Pakistani
soldiers were killed or injured.
Beijing Time,
10 June 2004
<http://en-1.ce.cn/World/Asia-Pacific/t20040610_1041661.shtml>
Pakistan Checking if Key al-Qaida Operators
Killed in
Army Offensive
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Authorities are trying to identify some of the
scores of bodies of militants killed in a counterterrorism operation near the
Afghan border to determine if any were key al-Qaeda members, officials said
Tuesday.
The
five-day offensive using artillery, helicopter gunships and jet fighters
against militant hideouts in South Waziristan, about 340 kilometres west of
the capital, Islamabad, ended Sunday. At least 72 people, including 17 members
of the security forces, were killed.
Army
spokesman Maj.-Gen. Shaukat Sultan told The Associated Press it wasn't known
if any key al-Qaeda members was among the 55 dead militants. He gave no
details about the nationalities of those killed, although he said earlier that
some were foreigners.
Another security official said on the condition of anonymity that experts were
trying to match dead terror suspects with photographs of "some al-Qaeda men."
Last
week, Sultan said an alleged al-Qaeda financier, Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, had
visited a house in Shakai village, which was targeted in the operation. He
didn't divulge al-Iraqi's nationality.
Sultan would not say on Tuesday whether al-Iraqi was among the dead, or
whether he was in Shakai during the operation.
"We
never said that he (al-Iraqi) was there. . . . All we said (was) that he used
to visit a house in Shakai," he said.
Pakistan, a key ally of the United States in its war on terror, has launched a
series of military operations in South Waziristan, where hundreds of foreign
al-Qaeda-linked militants are believed to be hiding - along with members of
Afghanistan's former Taliban administration.
Authorities say militants there were behind recent terrorist attacks in
Pakistan, and that a cell of eight terror suspects arrested in the southern
city of Karachi over the weekend received training there.
If
any key al-Qaeda figures were killed, it could take months for their
identities to emerge.
11 June 2004
<http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/WarOnTerrorism/2004/06/11/494769-ap.html>
Pakistan Hits 'al Qaeda Hideouts'
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistani troops have pounded a cluster of
suspected al Qaeda hideouts and a training facility with artillery, mortar and
small arms fire during a third day of violence in a lawless tribal region near
the border with Afghanistan.
Friday's attacks continued clashes that have killed 50 people in the past
three days, the military said.
The
army said it had killed 35 insurgents. Fifteen security forces were killed in
an attack on a checkpoint on the first day of the fighting Wednesday, army
spokesman Gen. Shaukat Sultan said.
He
said the army had retrieved the soldiers' bodies, many of which had been
mutilated.
Sultan said the three-day army offensive, which culminated on
Friday, focused on three al Qaeda-linked compounds -- a training facility, a
safe house, and the home of an alleged terror financier -- near the town of
Shakai, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) west of Wana, the largest town in South
Waziristan.
'Bold Decision'
"Pakistan took a bold decision to fight against terrorism," Sultan said in a
press briefing. "We are ready to pay the price, whatever it may be, and we
will take this fight against terrorism to its logical end."
Residents say a number of civilians have been killed, with mud
homes leveled and many people forced to flee, but Sultan said he had no
information about any civilian casualties.
Sultan said one of the targets was the home of a suspected al
Qaeda financier, Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi. He would not comment on whether the
suspect was there when the attack occurred but said 10-15 other foreigners
were believed inside. Their fate was unclear.
Sultan showed photos of the bodies of five militants killed by the army, and
displayed satellite images he said showed the militant compounds.
He would not confirm whether the photos were taken by American
satellites, but acknowledged that Pakistan receives technical help from
Washington.
The army said in a statement that the foreign militants had taken
the local population hostage, forcing the army to take action to flush them
out.
"Today, we appropriately responded to the latest unprovoked attacks by the
terrorists," army spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said on Friday.
Government and military officials said the army was pounding the hideouts with
artillery, mortars and other weapons, while helicopters also were seen flying
in the area.
Residents in Wana told AP by phone that they saw some fighter
planes in the area and heard a "loud explosion," suggesting the military might
have dropped bombs on the militants' hideouts, but Sultan refused to confirm
the use of aircraft.
Using all Means
"We
cannot give such operational details at this stage," he said, adding later
that the army was using all means necessary to crush the militants.
Sultan said he had no figures for casualties suffered by either
side on Friday. But a resident, Nawab Khan, said many people had been killed
on the outskirts of Wana. There was no way to independently verify the claim
because of the remoteness of the area.
The
military has barred journalists from going to the target area.
Pakistan's tribal regions bordering Afghanistan are considered a possible
hideout for Osama bin Laden and his chief aide, Ayman al-Zawahri. There was no
immediate indication that top al Qaeda figures were among those involved in
the latest fighting.
Tension has been building in South Waziristan over the past month
as authorities have pressured tribesmen to evict hundreds of Central Asian,
Arab and Afghan militants, many of whom moved there from Afghanistan after the
fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001.
The militants have refused to surrender and register with
authorities despite a government amnesty offer that would allow them to settle
in Pakistan if they renounce terrorism.
The army said it would grant an amnesty to any locals it deemed
"facilitators" of the foreign fighters if they agreed to surrender.
However, it condemned tribal strongmen who had been granted an amnesty in
April in return for turning over all foreigners in their midst. No militants
were ever handed over, despite the withdrawal of many Pakistani troops from
the combat area.
The
army statement said the leaders "started taking undue advantage from this
amnesty in order to draw personal benefits at the cost of their fellow
tribesmen."
11
June 2004
<http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/06/11/pakistan.raids.ap/index.html>
Wana Amnesty for
Militants Revoked: 'Capture or Kill'
Order Issued
PESHAWAR, June 10: The government has ordered security forces
operating in the volatile South Waziristan tribal region to 'capture or kill'
five tribal militants who were granted amnesty some time ago.
Highly-placed sources in the federal government told Dawn that the government
decided to rescind the amnesty after the five militants had reneged on their
word to get foreign militants under their protection registered with the
authorities. Meanwhile, rockets were fired on the paramilitary Scouts Camp in
Wana, the region's headquarters, on Thursday, but did not cause any injury.
The
five militants, Nek Muhammad, Haji Sharif, Noor Islam, Maulavai Abbas and
Maulavi Abdul Aziz, were pardoned on April 24 when Corps Commander, Peshawar,
Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain, flew into Shakai to announce the amnesty in return for
their pledge to remain peaceful and not to use Pakistan's soil against any
other country.
However, the 'rapprochement' as it was called at that time, collapsed soon
after over interpretation of the terms of the agreement reached between the
government and the militants.
The
government insists that the militants must get the foreigners harboured by
them registered in order to avail themselves of the amnesty. But Nek Muhammad,
the 27-year-old former Taliban commander, says that registration of foreign
militants was not part of the agreement.
These sources said the decision to withdraw the amnesty had been taken at a
high-level meeting held in Islamabad last month. It was presided over by
President Musharraf.
The
meeting, said the sources, had been called to review the situation in Wana
with particular reference to the Shakai agreement, and was attended by senior
military and civil administration officials. The meeting authorized the civil
administration to handle the situation in Wana, but with clear-cut
instructions to get the issue of foreign militants resolved.
The
president ordered withdrawal of the amnesty and accordingly, said these
sources, security forces operating in the tribal region were ordered to
'capture or kill' the militants.
As
part of a plan worked out at the meeting, the government decided to first work
through the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe and let them decide the fate of the five
militants. It was under these circumstances, the sources said, that the
Ahmadzai Wazir tribe decided to exclude the Abidkhel-Yargulkhel sub-tribe to
which the five militants belonged from any tribal action against militants.
Finally on Tuesday, the administration in Wana issued notices to the Wazir
tribe to 'present the wanted' tribal militants. It was made clear that a
failure by the tribe to produce the wanted people would invoke the Frontier
Crimes Regulations under which the authorities had the power to hold any
person in detention for any length of time.
"The
amnesty was conditional, that they would get their foreign guests registered
with the authorities. It was never meant to be a blanket one-way offer. They
had been pardoned in return for a pledge and in the end these people did not
honour their word", the sources said.
Nek
Muhammad, it may be mentioned, has warned of reprisal attacks in Peshawar,
Islamabad and Karachi if the government did not stop what he called excesses
against his people in South Waziristan.
In
an interview with the BBC Pushto broadcast on Wednesday night he accused the
government of going back on its pledge and warned against any military
operation against his people.
Our
Correspondent in Wana adds: Suspected militants fired two rockets into the
Scouts Camp at around 4 am on Thursday. The rockets hit an empty building in
the southern part of the camp and partially damaged it but did not cause any
injury.
The
Scouts responded by firing medium-range artillery that continued for about an
hour. Kakakhel tribesmen to the east of the Scouts Camp spotted a missile that
was aimed at the Scouts Camp later in the day and informed the military
authorities who immediately rushed to the spot and recovered it.
Meanwhile, tribesmen in Azam Warsak and Karikot were forming small lashkars to
keep out foreign militants from their areas for fear of inviting a military
operation.
The government
has claimed to have retrieved four more bodies of foreign militants, taking
their overall death toll to 22. The deceased were in camouflaged battle
fatigues. A notebook in Uzbek language and a wireless set is also claimed to
have been recovered from the area.
11 June 2004
<http://www.dawn.com/2004/06/11/top6.htm>
Pakistan Claims Over 50 Militants Killed
UPDATED
- Saturday June 12, 2004 6:29am from our sister station WJLA-TV
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistani troops dismantled several
al-Qaeda compounds in four days of fighting that killed more than 50 militants
and 17 soldiers, a general said on Sunday. But he said no major arrests had
been made in the offensive.
Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, the chief army spokesman, said troops
"successfully dismantled and destroyed" militant hideouts in its latest
offensive against foreign terror suspects in South Waziristan, a tribal region
that borders Afghanistan.
Hundreds of al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters said to be a mix of
Arabs and Central Asians, are believed to be hiding in the area.
Pakistani security forces and militants fought gunbattles in
Shakai, a valley northeast of Wana, the main town of South Waziristan. More
than 50 insurgents and 17 soldiers were killed, Sultan told The Associated
Press from the capital, Islamabad.
Sultan said bodies of militants were still lying under debris
in hideouts leveled in the fighting. Helicopter gunships and fighter jets were
used to pummel the rebel positions.
Local residents said a number of civilians have also been
killed. But there has been no official confirmation of civilian casualties.
The government has barred journalists from traveling to the tribal region.
Sultan said the operation was "nearing its culmination." He
added that a band of armed tribesmen loyal to the government will soon begin a
search for remaining militants in Shakai valley. He gave no date for that
operation.
Sultan said some militants might have escaped the operation.
Security forces seized weapons and munitions during searches of al-Qaeda
compounds in Shakai, Sultan said.
One of the targets in the latest operation was the home of a
suspected al-Qaida financier, Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi.
Sultan said it was unclear whether al-Iraqi was killed, or had
fled the assault. "We had reports he would come and meet his contacts here,"
he said.
<http://www.wjla.com/headlines/0604/152813.html>
Wana
and Karachi
The army, like all bureaucracies, is slow to change. Until a fresh doctrine
emerges to deal with the unconventional, it tends to follow ‘the book’. For a
commander at any level, to undertake an operation in a manner not given in the
book is a risk
Once
again the military has moved into Wana; and it has again suffered casualties.
Not just that, the renegade Wazir, Nek Muhammed, has been sufficiently
emboldened to claim responsibility for the attack. What is going on?
During the first military operation in the area, some weeks ago, I had
expressed my concerns over the execution of the operation. I had noticed that
half-hearted measures result in emboldening the opponents rather than taming
them. The army is also embarrassed by the fact that it has suffered more
casualties than it has been able to inflict on the opponents, though this was
not unexpected. The opponents have the advantage of terrain, local support and
surprise. The army is visible; they are not. Also, there is no plausible way
of sifting the friendly Pashtun from the ‘unfriendly’ one. Finally, the
opponent can choose the time and area of attack and is far more mobile than
the army.
In
1975, I was operating with my unit in some of the remotest and rugged areas of
Balochistan. On a search operation, I took out a patrol one night from Mashkai.
After eight hours and covering the most inhospitable terrain in the region (we
often climbed hand over hand to pull the others up), at dawn we reached a
plateau with a spring. I ordered camp for breakfast around 5:30 am. After a
while I saw an elderly local walking up from the opposite direction. Since
those were the days of the ‘insurgency’ in Balochistan, I interrogated the
person through an interpreter. I learnt that he had set off from his village
at ‘early dawn’, about 2 am, on his way to Mashkai, the place where we had
started from, where he expected to arrive by noon to purchase tobacco that he
had run out of! He planned to start back after lunch, would rest at the spot
we were camped at for dinner and start back for home at early dawn the next
day; and he was close to sixty years of age! According to our map, his
village, which was visible from our camp, was about eight miles distance and
Mashkai was twenty-three miles from us.
I
was young in those days and very proud of my physical fitness. We were all,
including myself, carrying an average weight of about fifty pounds each,
including rations, medical supplies and ammunition. I thought we had done very
well to cover the distance we had. I learnt a lesson about relative mobility
that day that I never forgot. Then and on many later occasions, I tried to
impart that lesson to others without much success. The locals, carrying a few
dates, a small mashk, a flask made from animal skin to carry water, a rifle,
and a few rounds of ammunition would always outwalk and outrun us. We would
always be following him, unless we lightened our weight and learnt to operate
the way he does.
The
army is a ponderous machine with an enormous logistic backup. Consequently, it
moves slowly and, once in motion, following the physical laws of inertia,
stays in motion to halt slowly and turn even more slowly. When faced with the
unconventional it often suffers and usually responds with reliance on its
heavier firepower and technologically advanced platforms like helicopters.
More often than not, these don’t work since, apart from the few recognisable
individuals known to the authorities, the others will simply hide their
weapons and join the rest of the population. It is imperative for the respect
that the army must enjoy in the tribal areas, that it should succeed. But it
will not do so unless it is resilient enough to operate in smaller numbers,
lightly equipped, prepared to give chase on foot. Until then it will continue
to lose face and embarrass itself.
In
the late eighties when the MQM unleashed its reign of terror in Karachi and
Hyderabad, the perpetrators operated on motorcycles and, armed with machine
guns, the pillion rider would spray the target and they would disappear
through narrow streets where the ponderous army vehicles could not follow. The
army’s response was typical: ban pillion riding. The result was that the
motorcycle rider would ride in alone, pick up his passenger from a location
close to the target and, before he could be apprehended for riding pillion,
hit the target and disappear. I tried to explain to some friends and seniors
that we needed soldiers on motor bikes, armed with sub-machine guns, to give
chase, apprehend and, if necessary, kill the perpetrators, since prompt
punitive action is the only way to prevent such incidents in future. This, of
course, was before the advent of suicide bombers, which is a different kettle
of fish and have to be dealt with differently.
Unfortunately, the army, like all bureaucracies, is slow to change. Until a
fresh doctrine emerges to deal with the unconventional, it tends to follow
‘the book’. For a commander at any level, to undertake an operation in a
manner not given in the book is a risk, one that entails responsibility, which
he might have to pay for. It is far easier to abide by the rules and not risk
one’s career. Those of us in the profession of arms often use clichés like,
“let us not fight the last war and prepare for the next one”, but we seldom
risk doing that, perhaps it becomes easier to see that and criticise it after
retirement, since nothing is at stake any more. Nonetheless, it is essential
to learn our lessons as quickly as possible.
Finally, the reader will notice that I have used the word ‘opponent’ for those
fighting against the army in Wana. While there might be foreign elements among
them and they may be operating against American forces in Afghanistan, in my
view that is what they are: opponents, of a governmental policy; not enemies,
not insurgents, not terrorists. This puts them on a different platform and,
while it is essential for the government to establish its writ, it is equally
essential that it explained and won support for its policies.
Shaukat Qadir,
<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_12-6-2004_pg3_3>
Air Strikes Launched
in Shakai
PESHAWAR/RAWALPINDI, June 11: The Pakistan Air Force jets and military
helicopter gunships carried out bombing runs in the remote South Waziristan
tribal region on Friday as Pakistan Army launched an operation to flush out
foreign militants.
Credible sources told Dawn that PAF F-7s jets and military helicopter gunships
bombed targeted positions in the Shakai valley, about 17km to the west of Wana,
the regional headquarters, to hit suspected hideouts of foreign militants.
The
bombing runs continued for about 45 minutes, the sources said. There was no
information of any collateral damage but military officials insisted that
chances of civilians having been caught or killed in the operation were
minimal as most of the local population had already moved out of the area.
Maj-Gen
Shaukat Sultan, the director general of ISPR, said the exact number of
casualties was not known due to the fluid situation in the area. He said that
so far five bodies of militants had been brought to Wana and the rest were
being retrieved.
The
sources said that at least one Pakistan Army soldier was killed and three
others received minor injuries during the day-long sporadic exchange of
gunfire with militants.
The
sources said that the jets and helicopters used Precision Guided Missiles (PGMs)
to hit compounds used by foreign militants and their local protectors. The
bombing raids were conducted as thousands of soldiers of Pakistan Army, about
the size of one brigade, moved from their bases in Zari Noor to mount a ground
offensive against foreign militants, believed to be in their hundreds.
Officials said that the military planners particularly targeted Mandata
village in Shakai which had several compounds owned and operated by foreign
militants. The jets and helicopters targeted a cluster of three mud compounds,
reportedly used as a training facility by foreign militants.
Artillery fire on another compound triggered two big explosions, indicating
that the militants also had an ammunition dump in the area, the sources said.
Also hit during the operation, being dubbed an extension of Operation Al-Mizan,
was an abode of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader Qari Tahir Yaldashev.
It
was not immediately known whether the IMU militant, whose presence in Kaloosha
in March during a military operation had triggered speculation that a 'high
value target', meaning a senior Al Qaeda leader, was also hiding in the area.
"We
don't know that yet. He may be out there and he may not be there," commented a
senior official. But he said that Yadash had been reported to be visiting the
compound, off and on.
Security officials acknowledge that foreign militants had either owned or
rented houses from local Waziri tribes on good sums of money and had turned
the area into their stronghold.
Maj-Gen
Shaukat Sultan said the security forces were concentrating on three sets of
targets, some 3/4kms from Shakai. He said the security forces had destroyed
the house of a local militant, Eida Khan, which he said had been used by an Al
Qaeda financier, Abdal Hadi al-Iraqi, who had been occasionally staying there
and distributing money among other militants.
The
ISPR DG showed satellite images of the compounds hit during the operation and
acknowledged that coalition forces in the War on Terror had been providing
technical assistance in tracking down foreign militants.
"It
was difficult to penetrate their security cordon," commented one knowledgeable
source. Officials said that the next 24 hours could decide the direction of
the military operation.
They
said that the army, whose total strength stands at about two divisions or
roughly about 20 thousands, intended to gradually fan out in the region,
sweeping the area before connecting with their comrades on the other side of
the boundary with North Waziristan.
"This whole thing may take three days to one week. We would know how things
shape up in the next 24 hours," one official said. The operation takes in its
sweep a 30 square kilometre stretch which has a total of 1,600 houses.
Officials said the operation was launched following attacks on military posts
in Tiarza that had left 15 military and paramilitary soldiers dead and 10
others wounded. Officials said that they were targeting 16 houses that had
been used or were being used by foreign militants.
Efforts were being made to galvanize the tribal lashkar yet again to flush out
militants. Soldiers from the Special Services Group were also ready to go out
and conducted search operation in the compounds, the sources said.
Some
people still stuck in the valley had hoisted white flags on their houses,
indicating they were willing to give up and ready to pinpoint the hideouts of
foreign militants, they said.
Officials said the military had not encountered any stiff resistance except
some sporadic gunfire, here and there. "These militants are highly trained and
are moving about to change their positions. The fact that they survived the
bombing runs and are still putting up a fight shows just how trained they
are," commented one.
There were fears that militants might launch retaliatory strike elsewhere in
the tribal region. Paramilitary troops had been put on high alert in the
regional headquarters to guard against any overnight attack.
12 June 2004
<http://www.dawn.com/2004/06/12/top9.htm>
Shakai Operation Ends after
Achieving Targets: ISPR
ISLAMABAD, June 14 (Online):
Director General, Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan
has said that Shakai military operation, which was launched on last Friday has
been finished after achieving the set targets.
He
said that several dens of terrorists were completely destroyed in this
operation.
Talking to a private TV channel on Saturday, ISPR spokesman rejected the news
item appeared in a section of press that Pak Army commandos had been trapped
in Mandata area of Shakai. "There is no reality in such news", he said.
Security forces during this operation suffered minimum causalities as only two
jawans were killed in the last three days while 20 foreigners have been
reportedly killed, Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan said, adding that five dead bodies
were taken into custody and 11 militants were said to be buried in Shakai
area, while few dead bodies are still there.
"We
have a total control over Shakai area as the residents welcomed the military
by waving white flags and assured their utmost cooperation," Maj Gen Shaukat
Sultan claimed.
US monitoring Wana operation, accuses Hafiz
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) deputy parliamentary leader in the National
Assembly Hafiz Hussain Ahmad has alleged that the US troops were monitoring
the ongoing military operation in Southern Waziristan from within the country.
Before leaving for Rahim Yar Khan during a stopover at the Lahore Airport on
Sunday, the MMA leader told journalists that the Wana operation headquarter
had been established at Mianwali from where the US forces were closely keeping
an eye on the air raids and ground attacks by the Pakistani troops in Southern
Waziristan agency on the alleged hideouts of suspected militants. He further
claimed that the US helicopters and military equipment were being used in the
operation. "There are also some reports that US air force personnel are
controlling the helicopters being used in Wana operation", he said.
Hafiz Hussain accused NWFP Governor Lt. Gen. (Retd) Syed Iftekhar Hussain of
sabotaging the peace process in tribal areas for 'some unknown reasons'. He
lauded the role of Peshawar Corps Commander in making efforts to find a
peaceful solution to the issue of elimination of wanted men from the tribal
areas. The religious alliance leader alleged that the operation against Noor
Muhammad and al-Qaeda men was an attempt to pave the way for US entry into the
area.
Hafiz Hussain said even, the lawmakers announced their parting ways with the
present government over its wrong handling the situation in the Federally
Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA). He said the request of FATA lawmakers to
National Assembly Speaker for separate seats in the House is a sign of
complete rejection of government policies. "Some hidden hand is trying to
sabotage the reconciliatory efforts in Wana", he said.
In
reply to a query, Hafiz Hussain Ahmad said the poor allocation of funds for
NWFP and Balochistan in the federal budget for financial year 2004-05 was a
punishment to the two provinces for not supporting president Gen Pervez
Musharraf in his presidential election.
He
maintained the provision of insufficient funds to Balochistan and NWFP in the
budget would create ill feelings amongst provinces towards Centre.
The
MMA leader stressed that Balochistan and Frontier be given more relief in
electricity rates to compensate poor allocations during the next fiscal year.
"NWFP should be given Rs. 27 billion as electricity royalty and Sui Gas
royalty be provided to Balochistan", he demanded. He said there was no relief
given to the masses in the federal budget 2004-05.
Wana operation endangers integrity of country: Fazl
Opposition leader in National Assembly and Secretary General of MMA, Maulana
Fazl-ur-Rehman has said that government's endeavours to conquer its own nation
would prove dangerous to the integrity of the country.
Demanding the forthwith halt to Wana operation, which according to him was
initiated on the dictation of US against innocent tribesmen, Fazl said that
government should have considered the reservations and concerns of aliens
residing in these areas while dealing the matter politically.
Chief of JUI-F was talking to the office bearers of local press
club at the residence of Maulana Muhammad Sadiq, MNA on Sunday. He claimed
that government could not get 'yes nod' by US on Shakai agreement, that's why
the military operation was reinitiated in the region.
Military operation is aimed at oppressing and terrorizing the tribal in the
name of arresting the foreign militants, he said.
He
said that rulers while fulfilling the nefarious US designs were using Pakistan
Army against the patriotic Pakistanis. He called for summoning an All Parties
Conference, in which military should also be presented as a party, on the Wana
issue to sort out a political problem of the deteriorating situation.
Talking on political situation in Islamabad he said, "MMA would not allow any
undemocratic move to dislodge Jamali from the office".
He
blasted the federal government for not resolving the NFC issue, due to which,
he said NWFP government was facing enormous difficulties in preparing its
annual budget.
13 June 2004
<http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=67619>
Pakistani Troops Dig in after Raids on Al-Qaeda
Hideouts
ISLAMABAD, June 13 (AFP) - Pakistani troops consolidated their positions in
rugged tribal terrain near the Afghan border after two days of ground and air
offensives against Al-Qaeda-linked militants, military officials said.
Military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said there were no clashes and
no attacks had been reported from the militants, believed to be hiding in the
tribal region of South Waziristan. "The troops are consolidating their
positions," Sultan told AFP on Sunday. The latest campaign was launched in
retaliation for attacks on military posts on Wednesday and has claimed at
least 61 lives: more than 40 militants, 18 soldiers and three civilians,
according to a military count. Residents in the region`s main town, Wana, said
no firefights were heard overnight and the situation appeared calm early
Sunday. Pro-government tribes manned hills overlooking Shakai and other
villages in the area to prevent any attack from the renegade groups harbouring
foreign militants, tribal leaders said. "We are fulfiling our responsibility,"
tribal elder Haji Sharif Ghanikhel told AFP. "We burned firewood to warn the
militants that we are present in the area and there should be no attack from
our territory as it would invite tribal retaliation," he added. Residents said
they saw one helicopter but no jets were seen on Sunday. "There was no bombing
today (Sunday) or last night," resident Anwar Shehzad said. Pakistani
warplanes conducted air strikes against suspected Al-Qaeda hideouts on Friday
and Saturday amid a massive ground operation, officials and residents said.
The bombing had targetted a training site for Al-Qaeda and some houses in the
Shakai valley, 25 kilometres (16 miles) west of Wana, they added. On the
ground around 50 foreign militants and their local supporters fought back
against an onslaught by thousands of Pakistani troops, military officials
said. The offensive, which began Friday, is the second against fighters in the
mountainous area after one in late March that left 124 people dead. Some 300
to 400 mainly Chechen and Uzbek Al-Qaeda-linked militants are believed to be
hiding in Pakistan regions bordering Afghanistan. Arabs and Chinese Uighurs
are also said to be among them. The March operation, Pakistan`s biggest
against the militants, was criticised for failing to drive foreign fighters
from the area and resulting in heavy government casualties. The government
abandoned the offensive and started political negotiations to convince the
fighters to lay down arms and register with authorities in return for amnesty.
But they refused to register. Pakistan`s military said Wednesday`s attacks on
army posts scuttled the political process and forced military action. General
Sultan on Saturday reiterated the government`s "firm commitment" to continue
fight against terrorism. Briefing national media, Sultan said foreign elements
had been operating with the help of a small clan. "They are not only involved
in terror activities in Pakistan but also carrying out their nefarious
activities outside the country," the official Associated Press of Pakistan
quoted him as saying. "We are fully aware of the safety and security of the
peace-loving people in the area and due to this reason extreme steps are being
avoided," he said. "However, the government is fully determined to deal
with foreign terrorists in a firm manner."
13 June 2004
<http://www.kuwait-info.com/newsnew/NewsDetails2.asp?id=34238&dt=6/14/2004&ntype=>
Fighting
in Pakistani Tribal Lands Leaves 72 Dead
Islamabad — Pakistani troops have ended a major operation to flush out
al-Qaeda suspects and their local supporters from hideouts in a remote region
near Afghanistan, leaving 72 people dead, including 17 security personnel, an
army spokesman said Monday.
But
even as the five-day operation ended in South Waziristan, two Pakistani
soldiers and a driver were killed and three injured in the bombing of a
vehicle carrying paramilitary forces in neighbouring North Waziristan.
The operation was launched after foreign militants killed 15
security personnel near the town of Shakai, 350 kilometres west of the
capital, Islamabad, last Wednesday, Major-General Shaukat Sultan said.
Army
soldiers, backed by artillery, helicopter gunships and jet fighters, targeted
rebel hideouts. The operation left 55 militants dead, he said. Two more
soldiers were killed during the action.
“The
operation concluded Sunday evening,” Gen. Sultan said.
He said all of those slain were terrorists, but he declined to
reveal their identities or nationalities.
The
army also recovered a huge cache of arms, including heavy weapons and
ammunition.
A
senior security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some of
those killed were foreigners and efforts were under way to identify them and
establish links with al-Qaeda.
Pakistan's tribal regions bordering Afghanistan are considered a possible
hideout for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his chief aide, Ayman al-Zawahri.
Pakistan has deployed about 70,000 troops in its tribal regions to prevent
Taliban and al-Qaeda fugitives from sneaking into Pakistan after President
Pervez Musharraf made this Islamic nation a key ally of the United States in
its war on terror.
The operation followed weeks of unsuccessful efforts to get
hundreds of suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters, said to be a mix of
Arabs, Central Asians, Afghans and Uzbeks, to register with authorities in the
South Waziristan region.
Meanwhile, Gen. Sultan said Pakistani security forces on Sunday
opened fire on some vehicles carrying Afghans when they crossed into Pakistan
from Afghanistan, and eight of the intruders were reported killed. He said
that others fled back to Afghanistan, leaving behind two vehicles.
14 June 2004
<http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040614.wpaks0614/BNStory/International/>
Pakistan Ends Operation Against al-Qaida Suspects, 55
Terrorists, 17 Soldiers Killed
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistani troops have ended a major operation to
flush out al-Qaida suspects and their local supporters from hide-outs in a
remote region near Afghanistan. An army spokesman said Monday that 72 people
died, including 17 security personnel.
The
United States military in Afghanistan praised the operation, but said it was
not aware that any al-Qaeda leaders had been captured.
Even as the five-day operation ended in South Waziristan, two
Pakistani soldiers and a driver were killed and three injured Monday in the
bombing of a vehicle carrying paramilitary forces in neighboring North
Waziristan. Also, Pakistani intelligence agents exchanged gunfire with
al-Qaeda suspects near a northern city, killing one militant.
The
operation was launched after foreign militants killed 15 security personnel
near the town of Shakai, 210 miles west of the capital, Islamabad, last
Wednesday, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said.
Army
soldiers, backed by artillery, helicopter gunships and jet fighters, targeted
rebel hide-outs. The operation left 55 militants dead, he said. Two more
soldiers were killed during the action.
"The
operation concluded Sunday evening," Sultan told The Associated Press.
He
said all the slain militants were terrorists, but he declined to reveal their
identities or nationalities.
The army also recovered a huge cache of arms, including heavy
weapons and ammunition.
A
senior security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some of
those killed were foreigners and efforts were underway to identify them and
confirm their links with al-Qaeda.
The official said it was not clear if the dead men had links with
leaders of the terror network.
Pakistan's tribal regions bordering Afghanistan are considered a
possible hide-out for Osama bin Laden and his chief aide, Ayman al-Zawahri.
In Afghanistan, U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Tucker Mansager,
said the Army "applauds Pakistan's aggressive attacks on terrorists" and that
its own forces were poised along the Afghan side of the border to intercept
any militants trying to flee.
"Together, Pakistan and the coalition are showing the terrorists that their
places of refuge are becoming more and more limited," he told a press
conference in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Asked if any al-Qaeda or Taliban leaders were killed, captured or had escaped
the South Waziristan operation, Mansager said he was unaware of any
"particular high-value or leadership targets."
The
operation followed weeks of unsuccessful efforts to get hundreds of suspected
al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters, said to be a mix of Arabs, Central Asians,
Afghans and Uzbeks, to register with authorities in South Waziristan.
Sultan said Pakistani security forces on Sunday opened fire on some vehicles
carrying Afghans when they crossed into Pakistan from Afghanistan, and
according to radio intercepts, eight of the intruders were killed.
Sultan said others fled back to Afghanistan, leaving behind two
vehicles.
Pakistan has deployed about 70,000 troops in its tribal regions to prevent
Taliban and al-Qaida fugitives from sneaking into Pakistan after President
Gen. Pervez Musharraf made this Islamic nation a key ally of the United States
in its war on terror.
On
Monday, a remote-control bomb blew up a vehicle carrying paramilitary soldiers
on a dirt road on the outskirts of Miran Shah, the main town in North
Waziristan, killing two soldiers and a driver, and injuring three soldiers,
government official Syed Zaheer-ul-Islam said. No one claimed responsibility
for the attack.
Meanwhile, intelligence agents battled four al-Qaeda suspects in a car as they
neared Abbottabad, a city 50 miles north of Islamabad, killing one of the
militants, an intelligence source said on condition of anonymity. The other
three fled and their nationality wasn't immediately clear.
City
police chief Feroz Shah confirmed a gunfight between security forces and
militants but gave no details.
In the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, a militant accused in
the killings of about 100 Shiite Muslims was arrested Sunday, a senior
security official said Monday.
Dawood Badini, a leader of the al-Qaeda-linked group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, was
captured in a raid on a home, said Maj. Gen. Javed Zia, head of the
paramilitary rangers for southern Sindh province.
He
said Badini orchestrated three attacks against minority Shiites in
southwestern city of Quetta in 2003 and 2004, which killed 99 people. Lashkar
is a Sunni Muslim militant group.
In
the first attack in June 2003, gunmen ambushed a vehicle killing 12 Shiite
policemen. The following month, a suicide attack on a Shiite mosque killed 41
people. In March 2004, a suicide attack on a religious procession left 46
people dead.
The arrest follows that of 11 terrorist suspects who were captured
in Karachi over the weekend, including Masrab Arochi, whom officials said
is a nephew of former al-Qaeda No. 3, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
<http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/06/14/build/world/30-pakistanis-arrest.inc>
Pakistan's
Operation in Tribal Area Successful:
Military Spokesman
The on-going military operation against foreign militants in
Pakistan's tribal region has been successful and 'hide house' of the militants
has been eliminated, Pakistani military spokesman said on Sunday.
The Pakistani army has killed 20 militants in the last two
days, military Spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said in a statement
issued here.
Sultan denied reports that army commandos are trapped in South
Waziristan tribal area, saying only two soldiers have lost their lives.
The operation is almost close to end, he said, adding the army
has taken full control of Shakai, where the people welcomed the troops and
waved white flag, a sign of peace.
The army has recovered arms and munitions during searches of
al-Qaeda compounds in Shakai, the spokesman said.
There had been fierce battle between Pakistani security forces
and foreign militants since June 9 in Shakai, a valley 25 kilometers northeast
of Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristantribal area.
Pakistani army is using helicopters and fighter planes to hit
the targets of the foreign militants and their local supporters. The military
earlier said they have killed 35 militants in the first three days of
operation.
Pakistani authorities said that hundreds of foreign militants
which al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters might be included are hiding in the area.
14 June
2004
<http://en-1.ce.cn/World/Asia-Pacific/t20040614_1066917.shtml>
Talks
Restart in Wana as Operation Ends
PESHAWAR: Air strikes and ground offensive against foreign militants and their
local protectors were halted in South Waziristan on Monday as both sides to
the conflict agreed to restart a process of negotiations over registration of
foreigners. No fighting was reported in Shakai and other parts of the agency
on Monday as a Jirga of the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe in Azam Warsak gave consent
to a 36-member supervisory committee to engage again the authorities in talks
with the militants to find a peaceful solution to the issue.
The
Shakai operation has left as many as 74 people dead, including 55 militants
and 19 armed forces personnel since June 9. Roads to Shakai, Azam Warsak,
Mandata and the surrounding areas remained sealed on Monday and economic
blockade and arrest of the Wazir tribesmen was continuing.
The
tribesmen at the Jirga demanded for the reopening of shops in Azam Warsak and
Wana, allowing them free movement, releasing salaries of the Khasadar force
and reopening the roads to shift the injured and needy tribesmen to hospitals
before holding peace parleys.
The
committee was scheduled to meet Political Agent Asmatullah Gandapur to convey
the message, but no details were immediately available about the meeting. The
local tribesmen put the number of casualties of the armed forces higher than
the official figures.
"We
have given some suggestions to the government to resolve the issue of
registration of the foreign nationals and hope it still can work. The efforts
started by the tribal elders, Ulema and elected representatives were in fact
sabotaged," said MNA Maulana Mirajuddin.
The
parliamentarian from South Waziristan said that the demand put forward by the
government regarding the registration of foreign nationals was not
unjustified, but the tribal elders, Ulema and elected representatives would
not agree to enforce the decision through the sheer use of force.
The
MNA is part of the negotiation team, which prevailed upon both sides to come
to negations and finally inked the Shakai agreement. "The issue of
registration would have been resolved by now had our suggestions been given
weight before launching the Shakai operation," he said, adding the suggestions
were given to Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah and Secretary Security Fata
Brig (retd) Mehmud Shah two days ahead of the operation..
Another tribal elder and member of the reconciliatory committee on the Shakai
agreement said that negotiations were still on, but would not give more
details at this stage due to fear that it might affect the process.
The
tribal elder said on condition of anonymity the committee members were in
contact with both sides and hoped that a negotiated solution would be found.
"I can assure you that neither local tribesmen nor the foreigners residing in
South Waziristan would act against the interests of the government and the
state," remarked the MNA.
Agencies add from Islamabad: The government on Monday claimed successes, as it
wound up a five-day armed assault on al-Qaeda hideouts in the tribal areas.
Army spokesman Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan said that when the operation ended late
on Sunday, 72 people had been killed, including 55 militants and 17 security
forces. Some of the militants were foreigners, although he declined to reveal
their nationalities. He told the PTV that security forces now have complete
control of the area, with militants either dead or dispersed.
An
Associated Press reporter in South Waziristan saw a convoy of about 60
military vehicles including trucks, jeeps and ambulances heading toward the
area of the conflict on Monday, but no fighting was reported. However, the
hostilities continued elsewhere as two soldiers and a driver were killed in a
bombing of a vehicle, carrying paramilitary forces near Miranshah in North
Waziristan, while intelligence agents killed an al-Qaeda suspect in a
gunbattle near Abbottabad.
Unidentified attackers used a remote-control device to blow up a paramilitary
vehicle about 3:15 am, killing three troops and wounding three others, a local
official told reporters at the scene of the blast, 15 km east of Miranshah.
Local administration official, Syed Zahirul Islam, told AFP the bomb was
planted on the road between Miranshah and Mir Ali. It exploded at Aidak
village. Residents of Aidak village said the authorities had seized six
vehicles and sealed four shops in a bid to pressure local tribesmen to hand
over the suspects.
15 June 2004
<http://www.southasianmedia.net/index_story.cfm?id=119461&category=Frontend&Country=PAKISTAN>
Operation in Shakai Concludes, Gen Shaukat Sultan says
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Security Forces concluded the targeted operation in
the country’s tribal region bordering to Afghanistan claiming that the
miscreants including foreign militants and their local supporters are killed
or dispersed.
“The
operation against the foreign militants and their local supporters started in
the morning of June 11 has been ended and Shakai is completely under the
control of the security forces,” General Shaukat Sultan Military Spokesman
told NNI here Monday.
The
operation was launched on Friday last after credible information of the
presence of many dozens of al-Qaeda militants of foreign origin in Shakai and
Kalosha, in the South of Wana, a headquarter of South Waziristan Agency of
North West Frontier Province bordering to Afghanistan.
Gen
Sultan said that the security forces have taken control of the area and “the
government is determined to take this drive to its logical end with both
political and military process working at tandem.”
According to Gen Sultan, 55 miscreants including foreign militants killed and
total 17 official troops including 8 of regular army and 9 of paramilitary
were killed in the operation.
“Klosha hideout is already destroyed and Shakai valley in under the control of
the security forces,” Gen Sultan said.
The
General further said that the work on development project in the vicinity has
been already launched and the life is returning to normal routine there.
15 June 2004
<http://www.pakistanlink.com/headlines/June04/15/01.html>
Operation in Shakai
Completed
PESHAWAR: The Pakistan army said on Monday it had completed its operation in
Shakai tribal region and foreign militants there had either been killed or
flushed out from the area.
"The
operation against foreign militants has been completed. Our forces are now in
total control of the area. Foreign militants there have either been killed or
dispersed," Director-General of Inter Services Public Relations, Maj-Gen
Shaukat Sultan told.
He,
however, said he did not know where the militants might have gone after
retreating from Shakai. "I don't know they might have gone somewhere else."
Local residents said the militants might have escaped either to Kaniguram or
Makin to the north of Shakai. The assertion appears to be corroborated by the
relatively light resistance towards the end of the military operation.
But
a senior official in Peshawar said that the security forces would continue to
chase foreign militants. "We are into another phase of the operation. It is
not going to be left like that," the official said."The main thing is that
there are no more casualties," he said. The official acknowledged that the
forces were rounding up suspected militants, but declined to give any figure.
The
ISPR spokesperson added that the security forces had targeted the militants'
hideouts and totally destroyed them. He said that 20 militants had been killed
in the three days of military operation in Shakai, about 17 kms to the west of
South Waziristan's regional headquarters, Wana.
He
put the casualty on the military side at two. Gen Shaukat Sultan denied that
the security forces had made any arrests during the operation that was
launched on June 11. "There have been no arrests," he said.
Fighter jets and helicopters pounded suspected hideouts including a training
camp and the abode of Qari Tahir Yuldashev, said to be the leader of the
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, who had escaped a similar operation in Kalosha
in March this year.
Government believes that Tahir is among the hundreds of foreign militants,
mostly Uzbeks, Chechens and a relatively small number of Arabs and Uighir
Chinese Muslims from Xinkiang who are hiding in the region.
Our
Correspondent from Wana adds: Local population began returning to Shakai after
the military started pulling out of the embattled area on Sunday. Eyewitnesses
said that troops were returning to the adjoining Tiaraz tehsil.
A
local cleric asked residents to help recover the dead and wounded from the
adjoining Mandata village which had been severely pounded during the
operation. They said seven houses had been destroyed. Rescue workers recovered
four bodies from the debris, two of them women.
One
of the bodies was of Eidak Khan, a tribal accused of harbouring foreign
militants. The situation was relatively quiet elsewhere as tribesmen have
formed lashkars to ward against any foreign or local militants using their
territory for attacks on security forces.
15
June 2004
<http://www.pakwatan.com/main/article_detail.php3?t1=4665>
JI Demands End to Wana Operation
PESHAWAR: A meeting of provincial ministers hailing from Jamaat-i-Islami on
Monday demanded an immediate end to the Wana operation.
The
meeting was chaired by JI’s provincial chief and NWFP senior minister Sirajul
Haq and attended by a number of JI ministers.
The meeting expressed concern over the ongoing operation against
tribesmen in Wana, and termed it a conspiracy to pitch the tribesmen against
the Army.
The meeting asked the government to honour the Shakai agreement
and desist from violating it otherwise it would harm the country’s
interest.
The
meeting regretted the economic blockade of the people of South Waziristan
agency, which had crippled life in the tribal area. The meeting observed that
the ongoing operation was aimed to please the US, adding that bombing of
tribesmen’s houses was a clear manifestation of the fact that the government
wanted the tribal people to surrender and give up their customs and
traditions.
The
meeting, through a resolution, demanded of the central government to solve the
issue through negotiations instead of using force and include the elected
representatives of the agency in the talks between the government and the
tribesmen. The meeting warned that the government’s use of force against the
people of the tribal area would make the western border of the country unsafe.
15
June 2004
<http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/jun2004-daily/15-06-2004/national/n7.htm>
Terrorists Struggling for Survival
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat has said that the security
forces have cornered terrorists who are now struggling for survival and the
recent incidents of terrorism were a backlash against recent anti-terrorism
measures by the government.
Talking to BBC Radio, the interior minister said that a new trend in terrorism
was being witnessed in the last few weeks in which security personnel were
being targeted.
“We
will continue to fight against them,” he said, adding that the government will
take the war on terrorism to its ultimate end. The elements spreading
disturbance in the tribal areas are behind the incidents of terrorism in
Karachi, said Mr Hayat. He said the army operation in South Waziristan was
launched to flush out Al Qaeda activists and their accomplices were trying to
strike back. He also said that their leaders had been identified. He said the
government would try to resolve the situation in Wana in accordance with local
customs. He said that 90 percent of people there were helping the government
in the Wana operation and several tribal lashkars were carrying out operations
to look for foreign militants.
“We have
involved local leaders and they have done a lot. We have also involved local
MNAs and senators,” he said. “The government would take military action only
if is absolute necessary.” Massive military operations are not being
undertaken in the tribal areas because that would affect the population there,
said Mr Hayat. “Our security forces have exercised restraint even in
provocative situations,” he said. App
15 June 2004
<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_15-6-2004_pg7_30>
US Military Hails Pakistani Operation in S Waziristan
KABUL: The US military in Afghanistan has lauded the ongoing Pakistani Army
operation against suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda in South Waziristan.
“The
coalition applauds Pakistan’s aggressive attacks on terrorists,” US military
spokesman Tucker Mansager said on Monday.
He
made this comment amid the ongoing military offensive against the remnants of
Taliban and Al Qaeda in South Waziristan along the border with Afghanistan.
“Pakistan and the coalition are showing the terrorists that their places of
refuge are becoming more and more limited,” the US spokesman said. Nni
15 June 2004
<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_15-6-2004_pg7_54>
New Al-Qaeda-Trained Group Identified
KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistan said on Monday a nephew of top Al-Qaeda leader Khalid
Sheikh Mohammad and eight members of a new militant group were behind a bid to
kill a senior general and a double car bomb attack in Karachi.
The
nine were among 11 militants arrested in Karachi at the weekend. The operation
came as Pakistani fighter jets and helicopter gunships bombed an Al-Qaeda
training camp near the northwest border with Afghanistan.
Sindh Police chief Kamal Shah identified the new terror organisation as Jund
Allah, meaning ‘God’s Brigade,’ and said its members had trained at an
Al-Qaeda camp near Wana. It was not clear whether the camp was the same as
that targeted in air raids.
The
nephew of Khalid Sheikh, one of the chief planners of the September 11, 2001
attacks who was arrested in Pakistan in March 2003, was identified as Musabir
Urumchi but his nationality was unclear.
He
was handed over to an unnamed intelligence agency while the Jund Allah members
were produced before an anti-terrorism court on Monday and remanded in custody
for another fortnight.
‘The
Jund Allah group is a new group which has links with Al-Qaeda, and their
members have been trained in Wana,’ Shah told reporters.
The
Pakistani military meanwhile said the operation in Shakai had ended after
troops took control of the area.
‘The
operation in Shakai area culminated Sunday evening. The forces have taken
control of the area,’ military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan told PTV
late Monday.
‘The
miscreants have been flushed out, either they have been killed or dispersed
and their hideouts destroyed.’ Sultan earlier said the government would resume
a ‘political process’ originally launched in April after winding down an
earlier offensive at the end of March.
That
process, involving protracted consultations with local tribal leaders and
hunts by armed tribesmen for foreign militants, has so far failed to persuade
the fighters to register with local authorities in return for being allowed to
stay in the area. Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat trumpeted the weekend
arrests as a ‘major breakthrough’ in Pakistan’s bid to stamp out Al-Qaeda and
other militants.
‘This is breaking the back of the Al-Qaeda-linked network in Pakistan,’ Hayat
said on Sunday.
Police accused the Jund Allah members of the failed attempt to kill Karachi’s
Corps Commander Lieutenant General Ahsan Saleem on June 10 and the May 26
double car bomb attack near the US consul-general’s residence.
But
outside the court the group’s leader Attaur Rehman told reporters that he had
‘admitted nothing.’
Attaur Rehman told interrogators the Jund Allah militants were targeting
Westerners, foreign missions, army and police officers to avenge the
government’s campaign to eradicate Al Qaeda-linked fighters from its northwest
border regions, Shah said.
‘You
have sold your pride and honour to please the Americans and we will take
revenge from you and your masters,’ chief police investigator Fayyaz Leghari
quoted Attaur Rehman as saying.
At
least 20 members of Jund Allah had been identified and there could be more,
Leghari said. ‘They are all from Karachi,’ he told AFP.
Attaur Rehman had a masters degree in statistics from Karachi University, he
added
15
June 2004
<http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/june-2004/15/MAIN/top7.asp>
Blast kills Three soldiers in tribal area
MIRANSHAH: At least three paramilitary soldiers were killed and another three
were injured on Monday, when a bomb blew up their vehicle in North Waziristan
near the Afghan border, officials announced. “It was a remote controlled
bomb,” local administration official Syed Zahirul Islam said. He said the bomb
was planted on the road between the region’s main town Miranshah and Mir Ali,
bordering Afghanistan. The bomb exploded at Aidak village as the vehicle
carrying troops from the paramilitary Frontier Corps reached the area. Three
people, including the driver, died on spot, while three other paramilitaries
were injured. The wounded were flown in a helicopter to Miranshah hospital, he
said. The deceased were identified as Subedar Yar Muhammad Afridi, Driver
Banaras Khan Orakzai and Sepoy Taj Muhammad Afridi, while the injured are
Lance Naik Shaukat Afridi, Sepoy Abbas Ali Bangash and Sepoy Nawazish Ali
Bangash. Security forces have launched a hunt to track down the attackers,
said Mr Zahirul Islam, adding that six people had already been detained.
Residents of Aidak village said the authorities had seized six vehicles and
sealed four shops in a bid to pressure local tribesmen to hand over the
suspects. staff report
15 June 2004
<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_15-6-2004_pg1_6>
Shakai Operation
There are contradictory reports regarding the Shakai operation which started
on Wednesday. While an army spokesman has said the operation has successfully
concluded, independent sources tell of military helicopters continuing to
pound targets in the valley. According to the ISPR, over 20 foreign militants
have been killed, a huge cache of arms recovered, and the militants’ hideouts
destroyed, and the Shakai Valley finally brought under full control of the
security forces, now consolidating their positions. Similar “successes”
claimed in March during the Klosha operation subsequently turned out to be
untrue, so one must keep one’s fingers crossed till independently verified.
What is amply clear is that the five local militants, including Maulvi Nek
Muhammad, whom the Yargulkhel had been told to produce within 24 hours or face
military action, are still at large. There was no word on the whereabouts of
the 400 to 500 foreign militants reportedly in the area. Again the military
has suffered heavy casualties, with 17 troops killed in the operation. As in
Kalusha, the collateral damage is not insignificant. Initial reports tell of
five civilians killed and six wounded. The figures might go up when media
reporters, now barred from the battle zone, are allowed to enter. The price
the country is paying for seeking a hasty solution, under Washington’s
pressure, is prohibitive. Maulvi Nek Muhammad has claimed responsibility for
the attack on the Karachi Corps Commander’s convoy. On Saturday, a bomb
outside the residence of an FC officer killed a man in DI Khan. Precautionary
measures being taken in major cities are adding to the perception of
insecurity. The incidents of terrorism, not altogether unconnected with
operation in Waziristan, have had adverse impact on the KSE index. These may
in the long run discourage investors and jeopardise the attempts to put the
economy back on the rails.
Like
any military operation targeting a civilian population, the one in Waziristan
is alienating the people from the army. Taking recourse to the inhuman
provisions of the FCR, Wana was put under siege last month and the population
had to face shortages of food, medicines, milk for children and other
necessities. Use of heavy weapons, jet fighters and helicopter gunships in
populated areas has led to civilian casualties and loss of property. One
side-effect has been sections of opinion to make controversial the increase in
the defence budget, which should be consensual, on the ground that this money
pays for operations against our own people.
While there can be no two opinions about ending terrorist activities that are
highly damaging for the country, the issue has to be tackled in a way that
gives priority to national interests. There is a perception that the Shakai
agreement fell through under pressure from Washington which is pressing
Islamabad to resolve the issue within a time frame that suits President’s
Bush’s election needs. Pakistan government needs to resolve the matter through
political means and patient persuasion. Quick fixes would give birth to
problems that successive administrations will have to wrestle with for
decades.
15 June 2004
<http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/june-2004/15/EDITOR/edi1.asp>
A Breakthrough?
INTERIOR Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat has termed the arrest of 13 suspects,
mostly foreigners, a ‘phenomenal breakthrough’ in smashing a terror network in
the country. They are accused of a series of terrorist acts including the
recent assassination attempt on the Corps Commander Karachi. Those arrested
included an Al-Qaeda operative with a million-dollar head money who was
identified as a nephew of Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, one of the chief planners of
the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Makhdoom Faisal, the first to describe attack on
the Karachi Corps Commander as a backlash of the operation in the tribal
areas, did not rule out the possibility of a full-scale military operation in
South Waziristan. However, he stopped short of saying whether any final
decision has been taken on this. Like so many other areas the ‘military action
against terrorists’ is the one that the powers that be consider their
exclusive domain, and have virtually ousted the political government’s
jurisdiction from the decision-making. But while one could wish the Interior
Minister all success in his efforts to stamp out terrorism, there have always
been doubts about the veracity of the security agencies’ claim of arresting
those actually involved in terrorism.
Given that no official announcement about the conviction of those arrested
with much fanfare in the past for acts of terrorism has yet been made public,
there is strong reason to disbelieve tall claims from security agencies of
arresting real culprits. Maybe Makhdoom Faisal might make law enforcers
concentrate on breaking the actual terror networks rather than going ahead
with sham arrests to calm the public sentiment against growing lawlessness.
In the final analysis the resurgence of terrorism, now spreading across the
country and shifting its focus to high-profile targets, calls for prompt
review of the frequent ultimatums to the foreigners operating in tribal areas
to surrender or face the consequences, lest the blind cooperation in the
so-called ‘war on terror’ should deal a serious blow to internal security. In
this field, there is no substitute for timely and correct intelligence.
15
June 2004
<http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/june-2004/15/EDITOR/edi3.asp>
3 Militiamen Die in Vehicle Explosion
Terrorists Shift to North Waziristan
Peshawar—As the Pak Army is gradually establishing its writ in the troubled
South Waziristan Agency, where the resistance from the alleged terrorists is
dying with the every passing day, the miscreants appear to have shifted their
activities to the North Waziristan Agency where three militiamen of the Tochi
Scouts were killed and four other wounded seriously when their vehicle was
blown up reportedly with the remote controlled bomb at Mir Ali-Miran Shah road
Monday early morning. Those killed also include a Sobedar.
The
explosion followed a crack-down by the political authorities on the Eidak
tribe in which jurisdiction the explosion took place, and dozens of people
were arrested under 40 FCR (Frontier Crimes Regulations)
Reports reaching here from Wana say the Army, assisted by the paramilitary
forces, continued its advancement in the outskirts of Shakai and Manra area
which are now under the control of official forces though the ISPR chief
declared on Sunday the operation in the South Waziristan Agency was almost
completed.
Besides the Army contingents, as the reports say, have also established their
control at the surrounding hilly areas once used to be safe hidings of the
terrorists.
The independent sources believe that around 60 people, dubbed as
the troublemakers were killed and more than 25 members of the Army and
paramilitary forces embraced Shahadat during the recent clashes followed by
the military operation and airstrikes in the South Waziristan Agency. The
security forces also claimed to have arrested some foreigners in the
meanwhile.
However, the trouble is feared to have shifted to the North Waziristan Agency
where a truck of the Frontier Constabulary was blown up by the troublemakers
at Bannu-Miran Shah highway near the Eidak tribe. While the reports suggest
the explosion was affected with the help of remote controlled bomb, some
sources say it might have been done by a landmine or with the help of
handgrenade.
As
the explosive device went off, the militia truck rammed into a tree. Sobedar
Yaar Mohammad Afridy, driver Banaras Khan Orakzai and Sepoy Taj Mohammad
Afridy were pronounced dead, while Lance Naik Shaukat Afridy and Sepoys Nawaz
Ali Bangush, Abbas Ali Bangash were injured seriously.
The
authorities immediately came into action and initiated a crack-down on the
nearby Eidak tribe under the apprehension that they may be involved in the
subversive act. Dozens of people were reportedly arrested and the vehicles of
the Eidak tribals were impounded by the political authorities of the North
Waziristan Agency, which was conducting thorough search in the area for the
assaulters.
Reports say that a number of tribal jirgas held at various areas both at South
Waziristan and North Waziristan Agencies on Monday, vowed to fight terrorism
in the region. They also vowed not to provide shelter to any troublemaker in
their respective areas come what may.
15 June 2004
<http://pakobserver.net/200406/15/view/default2.asp?page=1&id=2&subject=Front%20Page%20-%20Complete%20Story>
Canada Lauds Pak's Role Against Terrorism,
Extremism
ISLAMABAD, June 17 (Online): Canada has lauded Pakistan President General
Pervez Musharraf’s policy of enlightened moderation and steps taken for wiping
out terrorism and extremism from the society.
“Canada fully support President Pervez Musharraf’s policy of enlightened
moderation and action against extremism and terrorism,” said Canadian acting
High Commissioner to Pakistan Brian Burton in a meeting with Tehrik-e-Akhoowat
Islami Chairman Allama Aniat Ali Shakir at later’s residence here.
Canadian envoy said his country condemns the recent incidents of terrorism in
Pakistan and termed it as a conspiracy against Pakistan government’s policy of
enlightened moderation. “We believe that terrorists are enemies of humanity
and they have no link with any religion,” he maintained.
High
Commissioner said his country respects all school of thoughts and urged
Pakistani religious scholars to promote sentiments of peace and understanding
in the society. People belonging to different faiths were enjoying full
freedom in Canadian society as they have been given due respect under the law,
he added. He stressed the need of joint efforts for promotion of peace and
harmony at international level.
Commenting on Pak-Canada relations, he said the two countries were enjoying
very friendly and cordial relations and hoped that these relations would
further strengthen under the leadership of General Pervez Musharraf
17 June 2004
<http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=67879>
Pakistan denies U.S. Help in al-Qaida Hunt
Islamabad, Pakistan, Jun. 19 (UPI) -- Pakistan said on Saturday the United
States was not involved in killing a tribal al-Qaida and Taliban patron who
died during a military operation.
Nek
Mohammed, who sheltered Taliban and al-Qaida operatives in Pakistan's South
Waziristan tribal zone, was killed Friday when a rocket fired by the Pakistani
military hit the home of another tribal chief where he was hiding. Seven other
people were also killed in the attack.
Pakistan's chief military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, told reporters
Pakistani security forces received no U.S. assistance during the operation.
Sympathizers of the Taliban commanders told reporters U.S. spy planes were
flying overhead as the Pakistani military was conducting the operation. They
said signals from the aircraft enabled Pakistan to target Nek Mohammed.
Pakistani officials fear such reports could further enrage the local
population already upset by the ongoing military operations.
19 June 2004
<http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040619-101424-3394r.htm>
Nek Muhammad, Five Others Killed in Missile
Attack
WANA/PESHAWAR:
The prominent pro-Taliban Islamic militant, Nek Muhammad, was killed along
with five other tribesmen in a night-time missile attack on his hideout near
Wana in South Waziristan.
The
precision-guided missile hit the home of late Sher Zaman Ashrafkhel, a
tribesman having property both in Pakistan and Afghanistan, around 9.45pm on
Thursday in Dhok village located four kilometres north of Wana. The
house-owner’s two young sons, Yasin and Tor, were also killed.
The
dead included Marez Khan, Shahrukh Khan and Leetak, who were close to Nek
Muhammad and were often seen in his company.
Nek
Muhammad, 27, was reportedly injured in the head, arm and leg. He was rushed
to a hospital in Wana where he succumbed to his injuries at 2.30am. Villagers
accompanying him to the hospital said the dying militant recited "Allah-o-Akbar"
while breathing his last.
Several thousand tribesmen attended Nek Muhammad’s Namaz-e-Janaza in his
village, Klosha, on Friday morning. His funeral was quite big considering the
fact that most families had abandoned Klosha and adjoining villages fearing
another military operation in the area. A rocket attack a day earlier on a
military post there had fuelled speculation that retaliation by the army was
imminent.
Eyewitnesses said many mourners wept while filing past Nek Muhammad’s body.
Many were unable to have a last look at the deceased’s injured due to the rush
of people at the funeral. Women wailed behind the high walls of their homes
and men recited prayers when his body was lowered into the grave.
His
funeral was otherwise a quiet and dignified affair. There were no speeches and
no call for revenge. However, a man claiming to be Nek Muhammad’s lieutenant
later called a reporter in Peshawar to convey a message that his killing would
be avenged.
None
of the four other most wanted tribal militants could attend Nek Muhammad’s
funeral. The focus would now shift to Sharif Khan, his brother Nur Islam,
Maulana Abdul Aziz and Maulana Muhammad Abbas, all of whom were granted
amnesty along with Nek Muhammad but are now on the wanted list.
It
remains to be seen as to who among them replaces Nek Muhammad as the group’s
commander and spokesman. There was no consensus among opinion-makers whether
Nek Muhammad’s death would demoralise his men and weaken their resolve or
prompt them to reorganise for more assaults on government installations and
figures.
There were, however, no two opinions that Nek Muhammad’s killing is a huge
loss to his group and it might take a while to recover from the shock. In
fact, his "guest fighters" from around the world could prove deadlier while
avenging his death because in him they lost their most committed protector.
There were conflicting reports and theories as to who fired the missile that
killed Nek Muhammad. Major- General Shaukat Sultan, military spokesman and
director-general of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), claimed the army
targeted Nek Muhammad on the basis of intelligence information. In several
interviews with the local and international media organisations on Friday, he
insisted that the Pakistan Army alone planned and executed the operation to
eliminate the most wanted tribal militant. He refuted suggestions that the US
military assisted the Pakistan Army or on its own planned the operation to
kill Nek Muhammad.
"We
have helicopter gunships, artillery, missiles, everything else that is
required for such an operation. I cannot go into operational details but I
must add that our own intelligence and weapons enabled us to achieve this
significant hit," he argued.
However, the public perception in Wana was quite the opposite. Majority of
tribesmen blamed the US for Nek Muhammad’s killing. Certain government
officials and eyewitnesses in Wana and its surrounding villages said they saw
a drone in the skies just before the missile strike. Some of them claimed that
the unmanned aircraft fired the missile that killed Nek Muhammad and the other
five tribesmen.
A
senior government official, requesting anonymity, pointed out that the missile
came from the east while the army’s Zarinoor Camp from where the missile could
have been fired was sited in a different direction. He also said that the
missile took only three seconds to hit its target after being fired.
The
swiftness of the action and the precision with which the missile hit the
target prompted even educated Pakistanis to speculate that the US military
provided technical assistance to the Pakistan Army to score a direct hit. This
perception was augmented by the widely held belief that Nek Muhammad was
undone when his satellite phone was tracked down. Pakistan’s armed forces do
not have the technology to track down satellite phones like the one that Nek
Muhammad was using and it is being speculated that the US military assisted
the Pakistani army in locating and hitting the target.
President Pervez Musharraf had conceded in the past that 12 to 15 US special
agents and technical experts based in Pakistan were assisting the country’s
military to track down suspected terrorists. The US government and the media
also mention this aspect of the cooperation between the two countries in the
war on terror.
Meanwhile, there were unconfirmed reports that Khan Muhammad, also on the
government’s wanted list, was killed in Thursday’s bombing in the Baghar area
close to the border with Afghanistan.
The
military used jet fighters and helicopter gunships in that attack. There were
also reports that three women were injured in the bombing. One of them was in
a serious condition and was shifted to Peshawar for emergency medical care.
The other two were hospitalised in Bannu. The roads to Baghar were still
blocked and the soldiers and Frontier Corps militiamen deployed at
entry-points were refusing to allow anyone to drive to the border areas.
ISPR
adds from Rawalpindi: "Operations of security forces in various parts of South
Waziristan Agency are continuing against suspected hideouts of miscreants.
"Presence of Nek Muhammad, local facilitator of the foreign elements along
with his associates was suspected in one such hideout, which was appropriately
hit by the security forces. He is believed to be killed."
"A
spokesman for the ISPR has said that while activities of security forces will
continue, the political process will also move in tandem, rather it is being
accelerated, so as to allow the foreign elements to avail the government’s
offer of amnesty in return for their surrender."
Online adds from Wana: The 40-member reconciliatory representative committee
of Ahmadzai Wazir tribe on Friday handed over two wanted tribesmen, accused of
supporting foreign suspected militants, to the local administration.
Assistant Political Agent Khan Bux received the wanted men identified as Ahmad
Din and Hafiz Muhammad hailing from Karmizkhel tribe.
Also, the personnel of Khasadar Force, who were on strike for the last two
days due to non-payment of monthly remuneration returned to their jobs after
getting assurance from the political administration about prompt disbursement
of their dues.
19 June 2004
<http://www.jang-group.com/thenews/jun2004-daily/19-06-2004/main/main1.htm>
Two Wanted Men Handed Over to WANA Admin
WANA,
June 19 (Online): The 40-member reconciliatory representative committee of
Ahmadzai Wazir tribe Friday handed over two wanted tribals, who are accused of
supporting foreign suspected militants, to the local administration.
Assistant Political Agent Khan Bux received the wanted men identified as Ahmad
Din and Hafiz Muhammad hailed from Karmizkhel tribe.
Also, the personnel of Khasadar Force, who were on strike for the last two
days due to non-payment of monthly remunerations to them, returned to their
jobs after getting assurance from the Political Administration about prompt
disbursement of their dues.
The
local administration refused to pay the Khasadars the monthly salary after it
failed to recover Rs.5.2 million, the sum of penalty imposed on the local
tribesmen for their support to suspected militants in the areas under their
control.
18 June 2004
<http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=68111&PHPSESSID=d092d0a19716c56ce63ec5fa66086cc4>
Faisal Terms Nek Muhammad's
Death a Great Success
ISLAMABAD, June 19 (Online): Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat confirming
the killing of Nek Mohammad said that this is a major victory in fight against
terroism.
In a
policy statement in the Lower House Faisal said that Nek Muhammad got killed
during military operation against foreign militants hiding in tribal areas.
Mr
Faisal said operation against terrorists also continued on Thursday night and
about 65 to 70 terrorists have been killed up till now.
Minister said war against terrorists in Federally Administrated Tribal Areas
(FATA) would continue till the purging of whole area from terrorists posing
threats to country's security.
"Our
operation against terrorists continues till their presence in country", Mr
Faisal noted.
Rulers should be held accountable for extra judicial killings
of tribals: Imran
Chairman PTI, Imran Khan has condemned the targeted killing of tribals and
termed it extra judicial killings for which the present rulers will be held
accountable. He demanded a probe by a parliamentary committee of treasury and
opposition members to investigate the killings and report to the Parliament.
In a
statement released to the press, the PTI Chief said the targeted killings of
tribals by the Army reminds us of the extra judicial killings of Palestinians
by the Israeli army. He said if the whereabouts of wanted tribals was known
why were they not arrested.
By
killing Nek Mohammad, the government has done no favors to the US. Instead,
the killings would produce more Nek Mohammads and breed more violent acts
against the US and its surrogates. He said if the US occupiers could negotiate
peace with the Iraqi resistance in Falluja and Najaf, why can't our government
negotiate a peaceful resolution with our own citizens.
Imran Khan said that one man whose unending lust for power has no limits is
holding the entire country hostage. The policies of General Musharraf are
undermining national unity and integrity just to keep his faltering regime in
power.
The
PTI Chief stated that the chaotic law and order situation is a direct
consequence of the mutilated system of government, which is neither
Presidential nor Parliamentary. Real power rests with a self-imposed uniformed
President whose cabinet members are the Corp Commanders and his parliament is
the larger General Staff of the Pakistan Army. There is no rule of law,
nothing has changed since the first military takeover, and the country is a
victim of power games by a few individuals pure and simple.
18 June 2004
<http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=68070&PHPSESSID=d092d0a19716c56ce63ec5fa66086cc4>
WANA Calm after Nek’s Killing
*
Sultan says govt ready to deal with any backlash
* Reiterates amnesty offer
* Army denies reports about US help
* Afghan refugees ordered to leave South Waziristan
* Nek’s aides ready to avenge his death
PESHAWAR: South Waziristan Agency was calm a day after the death of rebel
leader Nek Muhammad in a missile attack on Friday.
“There has been no (violent) reaction to Nek’s death so far,” a tribal elder
told Daily Times by phone from Klosha. “The day was very quiet,” he added.
Military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan also reported that the area
was calm and hoped, “Things are moving in the right direction.”
Not
a big majority of tribal people were shocked by Nek’s killing. Daily Times
learnt this by interviewing a cross section of people via phone in Wana, Azam
Warsak and Kalosha.
“I
would say that perhaps 40 percent people are in shock. Nek was a hero for
these people. But wiser people also say whatever is happening in Waziristan is
because of him,” said a tribal elder, requesting anonymity.
His
supporters were made to believe that Nek was “like a tank” and that the
Pakistan Army was unlikely to eliminate him physically, he said.
“I
think Nek’s followers are in deep shock because a new dimension — the use of
guided missiles — was added to the operation. There was no quick reaction on
the first day after his burial because his followers were probably taking
stock of the situation before launching a counter-strike,” a former Inter
Services Intelligence official said. He said the government must be ready for
any ‘adventure’ by Nek’s followers to avenge his death.
Intelligence sources said situation was being monitored closely. They said
foreigners and Nek’s followers would stay quiet for some time.
Sources said that wanted tribesman Muhammad Javed Karmazkhel might lead the
post-Nek resistance. He is in his early 30s and regarded as “as good fighter”
like Nek. Karmazkhel, said a pro-Nek tribesman, might prove to be real
successor to ‘ameer’ Nek.
But
the government appears to have hardened its stance to tackle foreign
terrorists. On Saturday, the administration shifted key arrested elders from
Waziristan to unknown places.
Agencies add: “If there is any backlash, we are prepared to deal with it,” Maj
Gen Sultan told Reuters.
He
said amnesty would be offered to foreign fighters and the tribesmen who had
sheltered them, but only if they laid down their arms.
“In
case of locals, amnesty will be given to those who lay down their weapons and
denounce militancy,” he said. “Foreigners will have to do the same, but they
will also have to get themselves registered, photographed and fingerprinted,”
he said.
Failure to take up the offer, he said, would lead to a further crackdown by
the military, which has been battling the militants for months in a campaign
to rid Pakistan of radicals.
Maj
Gen Sultan denied reports regarding US help in Nek’s killing, saying it was an
operation of the Pakistan security forces, APP reported.
“Eight people were killed in the attack including Nek and three foreigners,”
Maj-Gen Sultan told AFP.
The
close aides of Nek have vowed to step up their activities against the
government, Online reported. A close associate of Nek said on Saturday that a
large number of the slain leader’s friends were still present in Wana and
surrounding areas and they would avenge his killing. “Our operations will
continue and the anti-Muslim forces will have to face the consequences,” he
said.
The
South Waziristan administration on Saturday ordered Afghan refugees to leave
the area. The Afghan refugees were ordered to report to the Dhahra refugee
camp or go to their homeland.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary on Finance Qamar Ayub Khan said that the
Wana operation was against foreign militants hiding in South Waziristan.
20 June 2004
<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_20-6-2004_pg7_1>
Military Calls on al-Qaeda, Tribal Rebels to
Surrender
ISLAMABAD: The military called on al-Qaeda-linked militants to surrender on
Saturday after security forces killed a top tribal commander, Nek Muhammad.
Military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan said an amnesty would be
offered to foreign fighters with al-Qaeda network and the local tribespeople
who had sheltered them, but only if they laid down their arms.
"In
case of locals, amnesty will be given to those who lay down their weapons and
denounce militancy," Sultan said.
"Foreigners will have to do the same, but they will also have to get
themselves registered, photographed and fingerprinted." Failure to take up the
offer, he said, would invite a further crackdown by the military, which has
been battling the militants for months in a campaign to rid the country of
radicals.
"If
there is any backlash, we are prepared to deal with it," Sultan said, adding
that more than 80 militants, mostly foreigners, and 18 soldiers had been
killed in fighting so far this month.
Sultan said the local tribesmen would help the security forces to hunt
foreigners. "A tribal army of 2,000 men is being raised for this task."
In
Kabul, the coalition forces’ Lieutenant-Colonel Tucker Mansager said Nek
Muhammad’s death would be a blow to the foreign militants. "It’s our hope that
his death will help disorganise the ongoing fight by the foreign fighters in
the tribal areas of Pakistan and allow the Pakistani military to better
destroy the terrorists that remain in that area."
US
forces in Afghanistan have urged Pakistan to do more to root out what they
call "terrorists" in tribal areas. Wana toll rises to eight.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the missile strike that killed Nek Muhammad has
risen to eight, military officials said on Saturday.
"Eight people were killed in the attack including Nek and three foreigners,"
military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan told AFP
20
June 2004
<http://www.jang-group.com/thenews/jun2004-daily/20-06-2004/main/main5.htm>
US Army, Afghan Govt Welcome Nek’s Killing
KABUL: The US-led coalition hunting militants in Afghanistan congratulated
Saturday the Pakistani army for killing rebel tribal leader and former Taliban
commander Nek Mohammad in his hideout near the Afghan border.
Mohammad was killed late Thursday in attacks by Pakistani troops trying to
flush out Al-Qaeda-linked foreign fighters hiding in tribal South Waziristan
on the Afghan-Pakistan frontier. Pakistani authorities have hailed his death
as a “major success” in the fight against the Al-Qaeda network.
“The
coalition ... congratulates Pakistan for their success in eliminating the
former Taliban fighter Nek Mohammad,” US military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel
Tucker Mansager told a news conference in Kabul. “From the coalition
perspective it’s our hope that his death will help disorganize the ongoing
fight by the foreign fighters in the tribal areas in Pakistan.”
Hundreds of Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants are believed to have taken refuge
in Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal region following the fall of the Taliban
in late 2001. Mohammad was a hardline tribal leader who had been spearheading
local resistance to government efforts to rid the area of militants.
He
led hundreds of Al-Qaeda-linked fighters, Taliban fugitives and tribal allies
in a bloody resistance against a major Pakistani army offensive in March in
which at least 46 troops were killed.
Afghan authorities have often claimed most of these attacks are being
organized from Pakistan’s tribal areas which the Taliban and other insurgent
groups have apparently used as a hideout and supply site. Security officials
have said Mohammad sheltered hundreds of Chechen and Uzbek fighters around
Wana in Pakistan when they fled the US-led offensive in Afghanistan.
The
Afghan government also welcomed the development. “The elimination or
prosecution of any known, active terrorist, whether Al-Qaeda or Taliban, is a
step in the right direction,” foreign ministry spokesman Omar Samad told AFP
on Saturday. “The Afghan government considers Pakistan’s military operation
against terrorist groups in the tribal areas a significant and positive step
in the war against terrorism,” he said. afp
20 June 2004
<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_20-6-2004_pg7_47>
Musharraf Fears 'Fallout' of WANA Operation in
Country
LONDON, June 21 (Online): President Pervez Musharraf while claiming that
military operation conducted in tribal area was successful, has ruled out the
possibility of inflammatory effect of the swoop on the rest of the country and
tribal areas. However, he feared the fallout of the operation in the form of
bomb blasts and other sabotage activities in other parts of the country.
In
an interview with Sunday Telegraph appeared on Sundays' online edition of the
paper, Musharraf however, said that government did not know the results of the
operation yet. "The operation is still on. We need to see the results once we
flush out everyone and enter those complexes, then only we know what damage
has been caused, the exact number of casualties. Firing was very accurate from
our side, therefore a lot of damage must have been done", he said.
"I
don't think it (backlash) is going to spread in the tribal territory because
of the right policies we followed. We followed the political path first. The
jirga took certain decisions and the jirga ordered a lashkar to be formed and
a laskhar was formed and it went inside but it failed and therefore according
to regulations we were authorised to take certain actions against the subtribe
which had failed to deliver, and that was followed by this military action",
he said.
Musharraf said he was not sure that the attack on Karachi corps commander was
related to Wana operation. "We have apprehended the people who were involved.
We will show them on television also at the right time. But we are not really
sure if there is linkage with Taliban, al Qa'eda and the people who carried
out this terrorist attack against the Corps Commander", he said.
He
denied disclosing the names of militants involved in Karachi corps commander
attack saying that some of the accomplices of the arrested militants were
still at large. "We are very hopeful that we will get them in a few days.
Until that time I don't want to comment", he said.
To a
question he admitted that US wanted direct presence in tribal territory
initially. "They thought we might not be able to handle. But that could not be
allowed and we did not allow it", he said.
On
reports regarding American aircraft overflying Pakistani territory, he said:
"these are not deliberate violations. They are unintentional. We launch our
complaints and protests; they normally apologise and say they will not do it
again. So let's not create a problem out of a very minor issue".
Use of intensive force in Wana not good for Pak future: Qayyum
Sardar Abdul Qayyum, Supreme Head of the Muslim Conference Sunday warned
Pakistan of the consequences of Wana operation.
"Use
of intensive force in Wana will not be good for Pakistan's stability.
Bombardment and intensive search operation's could foment hatred amongst the
heart of tribals, whose loyalty and love for Pakistan is a proven fact," he
observed this while talking to Online here.
He suggested that government of Pakistan should go for a political
solution of the crisis, as that will be good for stability of Pakistan.
"There is no doubt in my mind to say that terrorism with the arrival of new
century has emerged as a most haunting global problem," he said.
He
added that most of the powerful governments are involved behind this heinous
crime.
"I
have time and again said that terrorism either in the name of sectarianism or
is carried out at regional as well as international level should be halted
otherwise the world will have to pay the price. Look at the prevailing
situation we are standing at a criss-cross and are unable to fight this
menace," he maintained.
21 June 2004
<http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=68273>
Amnesty Renewed for Militants in Tribal Areas
WANA:
Pakistani authorities on Sunday renewed an amnesty offer to foreign militants
hiding in the tribal region near the Afghan border as calm returned to the
area following the killing of a renegade pro-Taliban tribal leader, officials
said.
Troops were manning military checkpoints on Sunday in the South Waziristan
region but no military operations were carried out, officials said.
There also have been no exchanges of gunfire between government soldiers and
militants since the death of Nek Mohammad, officials said.
‘It
is basically a quiet day and there was no search operation,’ an official said.
Residents in Wana, 30 kilometres from the porous Afghan frontier, said a
gunship helicopter flew overhead earlier in the day but no air strikes were
reported.
Nek
Mohammad, along with seven colleagues including three foreign suspects, was
killed in an attack by Pakistani troops on his hideout near Wana late
Thursday.
Nek
Mohammad, who was in his late 20s, had served as a Taliban commander during
the militia’s five-year rule in Afghanistan.
Security officials believe he sheltered hundreds of Chechen and Uzbek fighters
around Wana when they fled the US-led offensive to destroy the Taliban in the
wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
‘Things are improving and the situation is better,’ military spokesman Major
General Shaukat Sultan told AFP.
Military launched a campaign to root out foreign fighters earlier this month
after Nek Mohammad defied an April 24 accord under which he promised that
foreigners would denounce militancy and in return for being granted amnesty if
they registered with the authorities.
The
five-day operation in the mountainous Shakai area near Wana, which came after
militants ignored repeated calls to register, left 55 militants and 18
soldiers dead.
The
Shakai operation was the second since March when Nek Mohammad led a bloody
resistance to a counter-terrorism offensive in the Azam Warsak area that left
124 people dead, including 63 militants, 46 soldiers and 15 civilians.
Security officials said Nek Mohammad’s killing may clear a major hurdle to the
government’s efforts to rid the area of Al Qaeda-linked militants.
21
June 2004
<http://www.southasianmedia.net/index_story.cfm?id=121120&category=Frontend&Country=PAKISTAN>
Pakistani Forces Search Houses for Al-Qaeda Militants
WANA,
Pakistan (AFP) - Pakistani forces have begun a house-to-house search in a
remote tribal pocket near the Afghan border where the military carried out a
massive air and ground offensive earlier this month, officials said.
Hundreds of security personnel along with pro-government tribesmen have
searched hundreds of houses since Monday in Shakai valley but found no
militants or weapons, a security official said on Thursday.
A
military statement overnight said unidentified men fired several rockets at a
military post in Razmak near Shakai but caused no casualties or damage.
This
was the first attack on security forces since a missile strike killed
pro-Taliban militant leader Nek Mohammad last week near Wana, the main town in
South Waziristan tribal territory.
Mohammad's seven associates including three foreigners were also killed in the
missile attack last Thursday.
He
was accused of sheltering hundreds of Chechen and Uzbek fighters around Wana
when they fled the US-led offensive to destroy the Taliban in the wake of the
September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
Pakistan's military launched a five-day operation in the mountainous Shakai
valley, 25 kilometers (16 miles) northeast of Wana to destroy several Al-Qaeda
hideouts.
The
operation was in response to an attack by militants on a military post on June
9 which left 14 security personnel dead.
Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat has said 65 militants were killed in the
Shakai operation while the military had put their toll at 18 soldiers. Some
three civilians were also killed.
"So
far the lashkar (tribal force) has searched over 200 houses during the last
three days and has vowed to continue the search till the area is cleansed of
all terrorists." the statement said.
Officials said political process to persuade militants to surrender and get
amnesty would continue but another military operation could not be ruled out.
The
Shakai operation was the second since March when Mohammad led a bloody
resistance to a counter-terrorism offensive in the Azam Warsak area that left
124 people dead, including 63 militants, 46 soldiers and 15 civilians.
The
military statement said over 500 Afghan refugees have also left the area and
shifted to Afghanistan.
24 June 2004
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/afp/pakistan_afghanistan>
Two Al Qaeda Suspects Held
PESHAWAR: Pakistani intelligence agents have arrested two men on suspicion of
links with the Al Qaeda terror network, intelligence officials said yesterday.
The
men were arrested in the northwestern city of Chitral near the Afghan border,
officials said.
They
gave the men's names as Abdur Rahman alias Abu Obaida, and Suleman Tahir.
Rahman was described as an Arab, but his nationality wasn't given. The other
suspect is a Pakistani.
The
intelligence officials said the suspects were being questioned in Peshawar,
the capital of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province.
Meanwhile, Pakistani forces continued to search houses in a remote tribal area
near the Afghan border for foreign fighters as the latest militant attack left
seven police officers injured, officials said.
The
predawn rocket and grenade attack was in the town of Dera Ismail Khan, which
borders the tribal district of South Waziristan, scene of an ongoing military
campaign to capture or kill suspected foreign Al Qaeda fighters.
One
of the injured policemen was in serious condition in the hospital, the town's
deputy inspector general of police Habibur Rehman said.
"We
believe the attack was in retaliation for the operation in neighbouring South
Waziristan tribal belt," he said.
Pakistani troops along with tribal forces meanwhile conducted a house to house
search in the Shakai valley near South Waziristan's main town Wana for the
fourth day but found neither any fugitives nor weapons, officials said. The
search operation followed a massive air and ground offensive in the valley
earlier this month.
Pakistan's military launched a five-day operation in the mountainous Shakai
valley, 25km northeast of Wana to destroy several Al Qaeda hideouts.
The
operation was in response to an attack by militants on a military post on June
9 which left 14 security personnel dead.
Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat has said 65 militants were killed in the
Shakai operation while the military had put their toll at 18 soldiers. Some
three civilians were also killed.
25 June 2004
<http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=85240&Sn=WORL&IssueID=27097>
Judicial
Probe into WANA Operation Urged
PESHAWAR, June 26: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, expressing concern
over the Wana operation, has demanded a judicial inquiry into the operation.
The
demand was made at a seminar jointly organised by the HRCP, Tribal Union of
Journalists and Peshawar Press Club here on Saturday.
The
speakers expressed sorrow over the violation of human rights and excessive use
of force in Wana in the garb of operation against the so-called terrorists.
They
stressed the need for a free press in Federally Administered Tribal Areas and
demanded a halt to the misuse of the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) to
strangulate press freedom in the tribal areas.
The
participants, through a unanimously passed resolution, demanded to facilitate
journalists in getting information about the operation and the families of the
tribal journalists should be exempted from arrest under section 40-FCR.
They
further demanded of the political administration not to hamper the working of
the journalist community in Fata and withdraw cases instituted against
pressmen in the region by the political administration.
Another resolution called for the registration of the Tribal Union of
Journalists, establishment of private radio stations and permission to publish
weeklies, monthlies and dailies in Fata.
The
government should provide interest-free loans to establish newspapers and
magazines and the agencies should stop from seizing reporting material of the
journalists in tribal belt.
The
speakers demanded release of Malak Mohammad Anwar, a journalist affiliated to
the TUJ, arrested by the Fata political administration.
Those who spoke on the occasion, included former HRCP chairman Afrasiab
Khattak, TUJ president Nasir Mohmand and Peshawar Press Club president
Mohammed Riaz.
<http://www.dawn.com/2004/06/27/nat12.htm>
Musharraf's Role in War Against Terrorism
Lauded
ISLAMABAD, June 28 (Online): Lawrence Robinson, Political Counsellor in US
embassy in Pakistan has lauded the role of President Gen Pervez Musharraf in
US-led international war against terrorism.
He
observed this while talking to Inayat Ali Shakir, Chairman Tehrik ul Akhoowat
Islami at his residence on Sunday.
Pakistan and US friendship is time tested and with this cooperation by
Pakistan the relationship has further bolstered, he added.
He
also lauded the role of moderate Ulema in maintaining peace .
"It
is evident in the history that none of the religions favoured terrorism," he
added.
Speaking on the occasion Allama Inayat Shakir said that terrorists have no
religion and they have no humanity left in their concious. He said that under
the proud leadership of President Gen Pervez Musharraf entire Pakistani nation
is united to fight the menace of terrorism.
27 June 2004
<http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=68931>
Registration Issue can be Settled Peacefully: Fazl
PESHAWAR, July 3: Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the Leader of Opposition in the
National Assembly, said on Saturday that the problem arising out of the
registration of foreigners in South Waziristan could be settled by employing
peaceful methods.
He
was talking to newsmen after attending a briefing on Islamic mode of banking
here at the Bank of Khyber headquarters.
The
Maulana said that he, along with acting president of MMA, Qazi Hussain Ahmed,
and the NWFP chief minister, held a detailed meeting with the provincial
governor last night over the prevailing situation in Wana.
He
said the governor had assured that economic sanctions imposed on certain
tribes in South Waziristan will be lifted.
Moreover, the governor also assured that the FCR (Frontier Crimes Regulations)
will not be extended to settled parts of the province and would open all the
shops and markets owned by tribal people in settled areas, Maulana Fazl added.
He
said the MMA would follow the course of negotiations with the government to
help address problems of the people in Fata.
Replying to a question, the leader of opposition said that the Bank of Khyber
was making serious efforts for the success of Islamic banking and the corrupt
would be thrown out of the bank.
He
promised support to every step of the management for the betterment of the
bank.
He
told a questioner that the MMA never shut the doors of dialogue and wanted to
bring positive changes in the opposition culture.
"We
never worked for grabbing power or to promote our own interest," he said,
adding, "we always reacted in the same manner as was shown by the government".
He
said the MMA would consider the offer of Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat
Hussain about a briefing on Wana.-APP
4 July 2004
<http://www.dawn.com/2004/07/04/nat3.htm>
Two
Militants Given Surrender Deadline
WANA,
July 3: Tribal leaders and volunteers on Saturday gave a two-day deadline to
two sub-tribes of the Ahmadzai Wazir in the South Waziristan region to hand
over two wanted militants by Tuesday or face a collective action.
Informed sources said that about 300 tribal volunteers had suspended a search
operation for the arrest of two wanted militants Mohammad Jaived and Maulvi
Abbas in Shah Alam area, till Tuesday after giving the deadline.
They
said the volunteers, who had started a house-to-house search in the rugged
Shah Alam area near Afghan border, had threatened Kurmazkhel and Kakakhel
tribes to hand over the two wanted militants.
They
said South Waziristan's Administrator Asmatullah Khan Gandapur had asked the
tribesmen to produce the two wanted men.
"Don't waste your time in the search operation and produce the wanted
militants," a tribal elder quoted Mr Gandapur as saying. The administrator
asked the elders not to disturb common man, catch the real culprits and hand
them over to the authorities.
Two
wanted militants surrendered themselves to authorities unconditionally on
Friday.
Local people say despite the government announcement Wana Bazaar has remained
closed due to ongoing economic blockade placed by the government against
Ahmadzai Wazir tribe.
The
NWFP governor had recently announced that economic sanctions had been lifted
for 10 days to avert food shortage in the region. However, the main bazaar is
still closed.
They
say only main routes have been opened for traffic and the local people have
set up a temporary fruit and vegetable market in the Karikot area.
4
July 2004
<http://www.dawn.com/2004/07/04/top5.htm>
WANA Operation will Continue till Registration
Begins, says Faisal
ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat said on
Friday that the ongoing military operation in Wana would continue until the
registration of foreigners in the area commences. Talking to journalists at a
ceremony to inaugurate the website of the district administration at the
Islamabad Club, the minister said that the government was determined to
eliminate terrorism from the country. The minister said that the Muttahida
Majlis-e-Amal was misguiding the people about the operation in Wana. “They are
distorting facts and only showing one side of the picture.” The minister
reiterated that the Wana operation was not launched at the behest of the US
and only the Pakistani army was involved. To a question about a ban on MMA
leaders entering Sindh, he said that the federal government had nothing to do
with that. “This ban has been imposed by an elected provincial government,” he
said. The interior minister said that the government was receiving serious
threats from Al Qaeda but the law enforcement agencies were vigilant to combat
such threats. “We have entirely dismantled the vicious network,” he said. He
said that the investigation into the murders of Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai and
Munawar Suharwardy had made head way and claimed that the killers would be
arrested soon. The minister said that the incidents of terrorism in Karachi
and other parts of the country were linked with the Wana situation. Earlier
the minister ordered the district administration to provide the public access
to information. shahzad malik
26
June 2004
<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_26-6-2004_pg7_45>
MMA
Agrees to WANA Registration
ISLAMABAD, July 6: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal on Tuesday agreed to revise its
policy on Wana by consenting to the proposed registration of foreigners living
in tribal areas.
Secretary interior and secretary Fata gave a four-hour briefing to MMA leaders
and government teams. The briefing was attended also by Prime Minister
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. Both sides unanimously condemned all forms and
manifestations of terrorism.
The
MMA was invited to the briefing by the prime minister. From the MMA's side,
the briefing was attended by its acting president, Qazi Hussain Ahmed,
secretary-general and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly
Maulana Fazlur Rahman, NWFP chief minister Akram Khan Durrani, Hafiz Hussain
Ahmed, Liaquat Baloch and tribal MNA Maulana Abdul Malik.
The
prime minister was assisted by PML's secretary-general Mushahid Hussain Syed,
NWFP Governor Lt-Gen (retd) Iftikhar Hussain, acting chairman of senate
Khalilur Rahman, federal ministers Shaukat Aziz, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Ijazul
Haq, Aftab Sherpao, Dr Ghazi Gulab Jamal and Senator Ajmal Khan. Former
president Sardar Farooq Leghari and MQM's parliamentary leader Dr Farooq
Sattar also attended the briefing.
Chaudhry Shujaat described the MMA's participation in consultations on
security issues as highly commendable and encouraging and expressed the hope
that it would continue in the future as well.
The
government partially agreed to the six-party alliance's call for lifting the
economic blockade of the South Waziristan Agency and assured that the
relaxation period would be extended.
The
MMA disagreed with the imposition of a ban on the use of loudspeakers in Sindh,
and demanded that the use of loudspeakers be allowed for Friday sermons, and
agreed to punish anyone violating the code of conduct or being involved in
spreading sectarian disharmony.
Later, MMA's deputy parliamentary leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed told journalists:
"The government attentively listened to our proposals for improving the law
and order situation and both sides agreed that foreigners living in tribal
areas will be persuaded to register themselves and that the relaxation in
economic blockade would further be extended."
He
said that some tribal elders had recently helped the process of normalisation
by handing over some wanted elements. Mr Mushahid Hussain termed the briefing
'very positive' and result-oriented, especially in connection with removal of
some misunderstandings.
MMA's leadership, he said, had assured its cooperation. He said the points on
which both sides had agreed included an agreement on foreigners' registration
in tribal areas and elimination of all forms of terrorism.
He
said it was decided that a delegation of parliamentarians and elders would
meet the NWFP governor to resolve the issue of economic sanctions on Wana.
7 July 2004
<http://www.dawn.com/2004/07/07/top5.htm>
MMA to be Briefed over WANA Operation Today
ISLAMABAD: Government has arranged a meeting, chaired by Prime
Minister Ch Shujaat Hussain to brief leaders of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA)
over Wana operation and law and order in the country on Tuesday (today).
The meeting would be attended by federal secretary interior, DG
ISPR, DG ISI, Secretary FATA, Governor NWFP while from MMA side, it would be
attended by parliamentary leader of MMA, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Hafiz Hussain
Ahmad, Liaqat Baloch, Maulana Miraj-ud-Din and Maulana Abdul Maalik.
The meeting would brief the leadership of MMA about the current
position of operation in Wana while MMA would inform the government about its
reservations over Wana operation.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Council of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA)
will meet today (Tuesday) at the residence of Qazi Hussain Ahmad to announce a
candidates against Prime Minister in-waiting, Shaukat Aziz from Attock and
Tharparkar constituencies.
The meeting besides electing its full time president, would
also brief the council about the briefing of government over Wana operation.
It would also mull over the Local Government election, which
are scheduled to be held next year.
<ttp://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=58933>
Security Forces, Militants Trade Fire in WANA
WANA: Fierce fighting is reported between the local tribal
militants and security forces in the outskirts of Shakai, South Waziristan,
where both the sides used light and heavy weapons.
The rumours of gunning down a military chopper also circulated
in the area. The government officials claimed heavy causalities of the
militants in the firing but it was not confirmed through independent sources.
The tribal militants and security forces traded heavy firing,
which started from early Wednesday morning and lasted till afternoon without
interruption in Karum Gai of Shakai area and both sides used light and heavy
artillery targeting each other's posts. However, military officials claimed
heavy causalities of the tribals as they targeted four-sub tribes of Ahmadzai
Wazir tribe including Sadyagai, Sparekai, Khonikhel and Ozalkhel from Tiarzai
FC Check post.
Meanwhile, political administration apprehended over a dozen
tribesmen of Ahmadzai Wazir tribe in Sarokai area.
Meanwhile, a Jirga of Ahmadzai Wazir tribe comprising over one
hundred and fifty members left Wednesday for Peshawar to meet Governor NWFP.
<http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=59130>
Pakistan Winning War on
Terror: Musharraf
RAWALPINDI, Aug 4: President Pervez Musharraf voiced his confidence on
Wednesday that Pakistan was winning its war on terrorism which, he said, the
government was confronting frontally.
"We
are certainly winning, that's my assessment," he said in a panel interview
with Dawn at his Rawalpindi camp office. But, he said, people must understand
that the government's policy of crackdown on terrorism would continue to
create problems like bomb attacks of which he had also been a target.
"We
are meeting success in our operations," he said while complimenting
law-enforcement agencies for their operations spanning from the tribal areas
bordering Afghanistan to the shores of the Arabian Sea. "I am very sure we are
on a succeeding side."
The
president recalled the pre-1999 period when an outlaw named Riaz Basra in the
Punjab province had become a terror and could not be apprehended, and said:
"Now we have got them all."
He
said that although death penalties awarded to various people for terrorist
acts had not yet been executed, 89 to 90 per cent of all the cases of the past
three to four years had been resolved. "This is the success of law-enforcement
agencies."
The
president said Pakistan had at one time become a shelter for a hodge-podge of
foreign militant groups mixed with "our own religious and sectarian
extremism", but added: "Now we are acting against them, very actively.
Previously nobody had the courage to do that.
Nobody was touching religious organisations, now we are touching them.
Therefore, they will set off bomb blasts, they will create problems for you.
Because we are arresting them, and ... we are eliminating masterminds.
"The
nation should understand that they will keep on confronting us and this
problem will be with us... (because) we take up issues and not put them under
the carpet."
7 July 2004
<http://www.dawn.com/2004/08/05/top1.htm>
Troops Begin Advance
Towards Shawal Area
PESHAWAR/WANA, Aug 4: After securing several locations in the South Waziristan
tribal region, army troops, backed by helicopter gunships, have started
advancing towards mountainous region of Shawal on Wednesday.
Senior officials in Peshawar said that after clearing Shakai and other
adjacent areas, security forces had been ordered to concentrate on Shawal
region. An official said that the government had decided to conduct 'snap
raids' in South Waziristan with active assistance of military authorities to
catch suspected militants.
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