Pakistan, Taliban in heavy clashes
In South Waziristan:
PAKISTAN: Pakistani forces fought fierce battles with Taliban
militants on Sunday, a day after launching a long-awaited offensive
aimed at bringing the writ of state to lawless tribal lands on the
Afghan border.
The offensive on the global Islamist hub of South Waziristan follows
a string of brazen militant attacks in different parts of the country,
including an assault on army headquarters, in which more than 150 people
were killed.
Heavy clashes erupted on Saturday as soldiers backed by aircraft and
artillery encountered resistance, and four soldiers were killed and 12
wounded, the military said.
There was no information about militant casualties. Security forces
captured a Taliban stronghold at Spinkai Raghzai on Saturday after the
militants withdrew from their fortifications and took refuge in nearby
mountains, officials said.
“It is a flat area so whenever they tried to put up resistance, the
helicopter gunships fired at them so they decided to flee to the
mountains,” said a senior government official in the northwest.
In a show of unity before the offensive, government and political
party leaders gave the military full backing on Friday, vowing to weed
out militants.
The offensive could be the army’s toughest test since the militants
turned on the state and it will be hoping Afghan Taliban factions
elsewhere in South Waziristan and in North Waziristan stay out of the
fight.
Up to 100,000 civilians have fled from South Waziristan in
anticipation of the offensive, the army said, while the United Nations
said 500 people were leaving every day.
Peshawar, Sunday, Reuters |