Troops fought militants on
three fronts and fighter jets bombed insurgent positions Monday as
Pakistan pressed ahead with its assault on an al-Qaida and Taliban
sanctuary close to the Afghan border.
The army and the Taliban have each claimed early victories in
South Waziristan, a mountainous tribal region that Islamist
extremists use as a base to plot attacks on the Pakistani state,
Western troops in Afghanistan and targets in the West.
The fighting took place as U.S. Central Command chief David
Petraeus met Pakistan's prime minister and army chief in the
capital. U.S. Sen. John Kerry also met political and military
leaders to try and ease tensions over an American aid bill that has
caused a rift between the army and Pakistan's civilian government.
The offensive in South Waziristan is seen as Pakistan's most
crucial yet aainst militants that are in control of a large swath
of its northwest close to the Afghan border. The insurgents have
beaten back its troops there three times since 2004.
Intelligence officials said fighting was going on Monday close to
Jandola, Razmak and Wana, three towns where the army had bases. Jets
wre making bombing runs in the Ladha and Makeen areas, the
officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not
allowed to brief the media on the record.
The army said Sunday that 60 militants and six soldiers have been
killed since the offensive began Saturday.
Intelligence officials said eigt more militants were killed
Monday as they advanced on troops in the Khaisur area.
It is nearly impossible to independently verify what is going on
in South Waziristan because the army is blocking access to it and
surrounding towns.
The Taliban claimed Sunday to have inflicted "heavy casualties"
and pushed advancing soldiers back into their bases.
The military offensive is focused on eliminating Pakistani
Taliban militants linked to the Mehsud tribe, who control roughly
1,275 square miles (3,310 square kilometers) of territory, or about
half of South Waziristan. They are blamed for 80 percent of the
suicide attacks that have battered Pakistan over the last three
years, including five major attacks over the last two weeks.
Part of the strategy involves striking deals with other militant
groups and tribes in the region to ensure they support the fight, or
at least stay neutral.
Some 30,000 troops are up against an estimated 10,000 Pakistani
militants and about 1,500 foreign fighters.
As many as 150,000 civilians - possibly more - have left in
recent months after the army made clear it was planning an assault,
but some 350,000 people may be left in the region. Ahorities say
that up to 200,000 people may flee in the coming days, but don't
expect to have to house them in camps because most have relatives in
the region.
"The situation in Waziristan is getting worse and worse every
day," said Haji Sherzad Mehsud as he lined up for aid.
Accounts from residentsnd those fleeing Sunday suggested
militant resistance was far tougher than in the Swat Valley, another
northwest region where insurgents were overpowered earlier this
year. Officials have said they envisage the operation will last two
months, when winter weather will make fighting difficult.
The U.S has rushed to send equipment, such as night-vision
goggles, to aid the offensive.
No details were released about meetings attended by Petraeus, who
oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Kerry, the U.S.
senator.
Kerry is the co-sponsor of a bill signed by President Barack
Obama last week thatgives $1.5 billion annually over five years for
economic and social programs. The government supports the bill, but
the army has complained that some of the aid comes with strings
attached that amount to American meddling in security affairs.
Also Monday, police said they had arrested a man identified as
te head of the Pakistani Taliban in the southern city of Karachi
along with three other alleged militants in connection with a foiled
attempt to attack an oil terminal last month.
Police officer Waseem Ahmed identified the alleged Karachi
Taliban head as Akhtar Zaman. He and the other suspects were
arrested in a raid on a building in the western part of the city.
Wearing women's burqas, three suspected militants killed a
security guard as they tried to enter the oil terminal last month,
but fled as police arrived.
