Amidst growing chatter of a military operation in North Waziristan Agency, security sources on Saturday said the task of purging the area of all violent groups could be over in a “matter of weeks”.
“It would take the military four to six weeks to clear the agency of fighters,” security sources said, insisting that it was not difficult for Pakistan Army to re-establish the writ of the government in North Waziristan.
The officials also quashed the impression that the operation had only 40% chance of success, as claimed by some politicians in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The security sources said that North Waziristan is the last militant stronghold which, if cleared, would result in a significant drop in violent attacks across the country. The military and the civil government are on the same page and there is no ambiguity on the issue.
They conceded that the operation could have a severe backlash elsewhere in the country or that the fighters could sneak into major towns and cities of the country to carry out attacks. “The responsibility of the civil administration would increase as it would have to act pro-actively to cub terrorism.”
The security sources said that a ground offensive hasn’t been started yet in North Waziristan, though F-16 fighter jets have been bombing hideouts of suspected militants in ‘targeted air raids’. “Since Pakistan doesn’t have technology to fly lethal drones, F-16s are the best option available,” they added. “F-16s hit their target with precision, almost ruling out the possibility for collateral damage.” The security sources added that ground offensive would be launched after the civil government gave the go ahead.
The Express Tribune
Asked about the possible strategy for North Waziristan operation, security sources said that it would be similar to the one carried out in Swat in 2009. Civilians and innocent tribesmen will be given time to shift to safe areas before the launch of the operation. “The operation will target all fighter groups without discrimination.”
Once cleared of militants, the security sources said, it would be difficult for violent groups to find a sanctuary in North Waziristan again. They added that the number of fighters in the area was being exaggerated.
Asked about the stalled peace talks, the security sources said that the security establishment and the civilian government were on the same page vis-à-vis peace engagement. “The military fully supports the government’s peace overtures because it believes in giving peace a chance.”
However, the security sources added that talks should be pursued from a ‘position of strength’. They said that despite the ongoing peace process, militants carried out a string of fatal attacks which necessitated the ‘use of force’.
The security sources claimed that Pakistani fighters were receiving monetary and material support from outside. Afghan spy agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), was in league with India. Around 3,000 personnel of NDS, Afghan National Army and other security agencies were receiving training in India.
The security sources, however, rejected as hackneyed the impression that Pakistan’s military was seeking ‘strategic depth’ in Afghanistan. However, they added that the military was not oblivious of the security of the country’s borders. “Pakistan Army is ready to face any challenge.” The security sources said that militants also have supporters and sympathisers within the country.
Commenting on the recent air strikes in North Waziristan and Khyber agencies, the security sources said that it was wrong to call them a prelude to a full-fledged operation. However, if the Taliban carry out any violent attack, they would be responded in the same coin – and the process has already started.
As part of the same strategy, helicopter gunships targeted hideouts of suspected militants in Thal tehsil of Hangu district early Saturday. A security official said that the air raids were ordered after credible intelligence suggested that militants based in the area were plotting attacks.
“The air strikes were carried out in the mountainous areas of Tora Warhi and Darsamand, situated at the confluence of borders between Orakzai and Kurram tribal agencies around 7am,” a security official said. The raids continued till 9am, he added.
The official claimed that at least nine militants – among them three commanders, Gul Nawaz, Arshad and Wali Zaman – were killed when a suspected compound was bombed.
While the air strikes were ongoing, a shell fired from unknown direction slammed into a civilian house in the Darsamand area, wounding two women identified as Sakina Bibi and Sultana Bibi. They were driven to a hospital in nearby Thal.
The security official said it was an air raid by helicopter gunships against militant hideouts in Thal. It is the only tehsil of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where a US drone had targeted an Islamic seminary (madrassa) on November 21, last year, killing six persons.
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