Pakistani troops backed by warplanes yesterday launched a major operation against the Taliban in South Waziristan, sparking deadly clashes with heavily armed fighters, officials said.
The mountain district is part of a tribal belt on the Afghan border that US officials call the most dangerous place in the world and is home to thousands of Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked fighters believed to be plotting attacks.
Air strikes and heavy artillery pounded Taliban bases as troops advanced north, west and east after months spent planning an assault that was expected to encounter heavy resistance on terrain well suited to the guerrillas.
“The army has launched an operation after receiving orders from the government. The operation was launched early in the morning. Both air and ground troops are taking part,” Major General Athar Abbas said.
Pakistan vowed to root out militants it branded a threat to the country’s sovereignty after a spike in a two-year Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked campaign of attacks that has made the country a frontline in the US-led war on terror.
At least 90,000 civilians have fled South Waziristan, home to around 600,000 people, since August to escape a feared military onslaught.
Artillery pounded rebel positions as the vanguard of troops engaged in heavy clashes in mountainous forest at Sharwangi and Spinkai Raghzai, a local administration official said on condition of anonymity.
“They are using heavy weapons” against troops, he said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
A military official confirmed that troops had run into resistance.
Four soldiers were killed during clashes as troops thrust north toward the Mehsud stronghold of Makeen, east towards Kotkai, Spinkai Raghzai, and west towards Kunigaram, Saam and Baddar, security officials said.
Remote-controlled bomb attacks also killed three soldiers — two in North Waziristan and one in South Waziristan, security officials said.
A senior military official said the initial objective was to establish footholds with three divisions of the military, paramilitary and police eventually mobilized, numbering up to 60,000 troops.
“The operation has been launched this morning. Forces are moving inside Mehsud territory,” he said.
“It will be a very swift operation bearing in mind the weather conditions ... We will try to complete it before snowfall,” he said.
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