Several South Waziristan towns cleared of militants

By Mushtaq Yusufzai & Irfan Burki

PESHAWAR/TANK: Security forces on Friday intensified attacks on militants positions in the South Waziristan Agency (SWA) where military authorities said a number of towns had been cleared of Baitullah Mehsud-led fighters.

There were reports of fierce clashes between the troops and the militants in various parts of the militancy-hit region, while military officials said Baitullah Mehsud was still hiding in the area leading his fighters. Sources told The News the soldiers stormed militants' positions in the mountains around Spinkai Raghzai near Jandola earlier in the day.

They said two soldiers were killed and seven others injured in the fighting. There were no reports about losses suffered by the militants, as they were reported to have taken away bodies of their slain colleagues.

A senior military official, while requesting anonymity, told this scribe that militants had been evicted from the town, a stronghold of the tribal militants and their foreign guest fighters. He said the militants had taken positions in caves in the mountains, which he said were now in control of the security forces. The official said the troops had recovered heavy arms and ammunition and several suicide jackets, which the militants had left behind in the caves.

Besides Spinkai Raghzai, the military officer said Nawakali, Marghaban and Kotkai villages were also cleared of the militants. Meanwhile, a white-colour jetfighter and several gunship choppers were seen flying over Ladha and bombarding villages, including Shamirey, Nawaz Kot, Makin, Torwam and Kaniguram.

The troops also targeted suspected hideouts of the militants in the areas by firing mortar and artillery shells from Jandola, Wana and Chagmalai forts.There were, however, no reports of losses as soon after the latest military campaign against militants, the telecommunication system was disconnected by the authorities concerned.

The residents of Shakai town, which is inhabited by the Wazirs, said three bodies of militants who were killed in the fighting on Thursday night were still lying in Torwam village. Two of the bodies were of Uzbekistanis and another of a Mehsud militant.

Shakai, which is about 60 kilometres north of Wana, is controlled by the pro-government Wazir tribal militants. Senior military officials said militants hailing from Uzbekistan were found fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with Baitullah Mehsud's men. They said a number of bodies recovered from Spinkai Raghzai near Jandola and Saaga village were of Central Asians.

Some of the residents, who had succeeded in coming out of the troubled Makin area by using the unfrequented, routes said heavy fighting was still going on in and around the town in which both sides had suffered major losses. Similarly, they said the militants were driven out of Nawaz Kot and Ghatsar areas, where fresh Pakistan Army contingents reached from Razmak military camp in North Waziristan.

The government had to withdraw Army from these towns after militants kidnapped 300 soldiers on August 30, 2007 and linked their release with pulling out of the forces from the Mehsud-inhabited towns. Also, Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Masood Aslam Friday visited the restive South Waziristan and met the troops engaged in fighting with the militants. He praised the soldiers for their bravery and professionalism.

There were also reports that two kids of a local tribesman, Gul Mohammad, were killed due to freezing cold while he was shifting his family from Chagmalai to Jandola.

Meanwhile, the three weeks of ban imposed by the military authorities on supplying edible items to the region has created a famine-like situation in the Mehsud-populated areas.

Residents from Kaniguram told The News that 200 families would leave the town today (Saturday) for Tank district due to shortage of food and airstrikes and artillery shelling by the forces on their houses.

__________________
Regards

Aarwaa

Pakistan is ruled by three As - Army, America and Allah.