Operation Rah-e-Nijat

[Neo]

Pakistan army ready for Waziristan offensive

ISLAMABAD (October 03 2009): Pakistan's army is ready to launch a major offensive in the al Qaida and Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, but is waiting approval from the government and first wants to reach deals with local warlords to support the operation, intelligence officials said on Friday. Earlier this week, scores of people fled the mountainous region close to the Afghan border amid speculation an operation was imminent.

The army said months ago that it was planning an offensive but did not confirm Friday a newspaper report that it would begin within days. Pakistan has won praise in the West over the last year for moving against militants in the frontier region blamed for stoking the Afghan insurgency, but has so far stuck to limited, intelligence-led ground and air strikes in South Waziristan, where local and foreign militants are well dug-in.

Also Friday, intelligence officials said the al Qaida-linked leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan is believed to have been killed by a US missile strike in South Waziristan. The Taliban denied the claim. Tahir Yuldash's death would be a significant blow to the militant groups that have wreaked havoc along the Afghan-Pakistan border and the latest victory for the covert American missile program.

Waziristan in three army bases in the region. They said they were awaiting final approval from the government before moving in. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. Intelligence officials in Waziristan and the nearby town of Dera Ismail Khan said the government was still negotiating with warlords Maulvi Nazir and Hafiz Gul Bahadur. "What the Pakistan army is working on is that if they both do not announce their support, then they should remain impartial," one said.

[Neo]

South Waziristan: Pakistan has forces, equipment for assault: US

WASHINGTON (October 05 2009): Pakistan has mobilised enough forces and equipment to launch a long awaited ground offensive against Taliban militants in their South Waziristan stronghold near the Afghan border, US defence officials said on Sunday.

Washington sees a concerted push by Pakistan to eliminate Taliban and al Qaeda "sanctuaries" on its territory as the key to turning around a faltering US-led war in Afghanistan. Pakistan has cited in recent months shortages of helicopters, armoured vehicles and precision weapons in putting off a Waziristan assault, but US officials said they believed the army was sufficiently equipped to act. "We would assess that they have plenty of force to do the job right now," said one of the officials, who has been closely monitoring Pakistani preparations for the offensive. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of discussing Pakistani military planning.

Pakistan has amassed troops around Waziristan, imposing a blockade to try to choke off Taliban supplies. Ahead of an anticipated ground assault, the army has increased artillery fire and the CIA has stepped up attacks using drone aircraft armed with missiles. Military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said two divisions, or up to 28,000 soldiers, were in place, enough to take on an estimated 10,000 hard-core Taliban. While declining to discuss force levels, a US defence official described the Waziristan deployment as "significant" and said he did not expect any additional reinforcements.

"You might see some troops moving but they would probably be rotating. I think they're going to maintain about the same strength that they have there now," the official said. Washington believes the Pakistanis will have to "clear and hold" the rugged, mountainous territory to crush militants loyal to the late Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.

AL QAEDA SANCTUARY:

Appearing on CNN, White House National Security Adviser James Jones pointed to al Qaeda "sanctuaries" in Pakistan as "the problem, the next step" in the fight against the group, but said Pakistani government and army "has done much better than anybody thought" at dealing with the threat.

US officials see the Pakistani army's offensive against the former Taliban bastion in Swat, 80 miles (120 km) north-west of Islamabad, as a sign that the country's political and military leaders have learned from past missteps.

"I think they're determined to not make the mistake of withdrawing (from Swat) before the government forces are able to come in and backfill, and do the hold and build functions of counter-insurgency," the official said.

Jones said Washington was working closely with the Pakistani army "to try to help them get rid of the insurgency problem on their side of the border. If that happens, that's a strategic shift in the region."

US officials acknowledge Pakistani troops need more armoured vehicles and night-vision devises to protect themselves against improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the most lethal weapon used by the Taliban against US forces in Afghanistan.

"But the lack of that equipment does not mean they cannot conduct successful military operations. It might mean that it would be a little more difficult, that the logistics would be a little trickier. But it doesn't mean they can't pull the trigger if they want," one of the defence officials said.

A US military official said an assault by ground forces in Waziristan "can still be effective" despite some shortages, adding that the Pentagon was trying to free up helicopters and other equipment for Pakistan "as soon as possible". The Pentagon has sought permission from Congress to transfer used US military hardware from Iraq to the Pakistani army but US lawmakers have so far balked at the request, citing concerns Islamabad could use the equipment against India. Washington is also securing some equipment through third governments but the effort is moving slowly, officials said.

[Neo]

Army prepares assault, eyes Taliban infighting

ISLAMABAD (October 04 2009): Pakistan army is keeping up pressure on Taliban as it prepares for an offensive on their South Waziristan stronghold and awaits the outcome of infighting between factions, an army spokesman said on Saturday. The government ordered the army to launch an offensive against Pakistani Taliban Baitullah Mehsud and his men in South Waziristan near the Afghan border in June.

Mehsud, accused of numerous bomb attacks across the country, was killed in a US missile strike in August. The security forces have been launching air strikes, while moving in troops, blockading the region and trying to split off factions. "The operation is continuing through air targeting, squeezing the area - all the entry and exit routes have been blocked - and, of course, waiting for the result of the infighting for the succession," military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said.

Mehsud's killing threw the Taliban into disarray with rival factions vying to take control of the al Qaeda-linked Taliban Movement of Pakistan alliance of 13 militant factions. Confusion surrounds who is in charge. US intelligence agencies believe the newly named leader of the militant alliance, Hakimullah Mehsud, might have been killed in a firefight with a rival faction soon after Mehsud's death) Abbas said some Pakistani security agencies had reported that Hakimullah was dead but there was no confirmation.

"It's confusing because the area is sealed, there's no free movement or credible intelligence presence inside," Abbas said. Abbas said two divisions, or up to 28,000 soldiers, were in place, enough to take on an estimated 10,000 hardcore Taliban.

Winter snow could arrive in late November, hampering military operations but Abbas said the weather was one of many factors that planners were taking into account. "It's a matter of the time which, of course, the military would not like to disclose or give any hint about," he said.

US PRESSURE Speculation about an assault on South Waziristan is rising as the United States has been stepping up pressure on Pakistan to go after Afghan Taliban factions based in north-western enclaves. With Afghan violence reaching new heights, the United States is weighing options for how to deal with the insurgency eight years after driving the Taliban from power.

The US commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, said in an assessment leaked last week Afghan insurgent leaders were based in Pakistan. Pakistan denies that but many analysts say Pakistan is acting only against militants which are a threat to itself, like the Pakistani Taliban, while leaving alone those focused on fighting in Afghanistan or on targeting India.

Meanwhile, soldiers and equipment have been moving towards the Taliban bastion in South Waziristan. "There are large convoys passing through Wana almost every day," said Wali a resident of Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, where the military has a base.

A senior military official in South Waziristan said his men were ready. "We have made all preparations and are only waiting for an order," said the official, who declined to be identified. Analysts say the ethnic Pashtun tribes in South Waziristan resent outsiders and a military offensive risks not only heavy casualties but a tribal uprising. But the military official dismissed such fears saying many people opposed the militants. "They want the terrorists out of their area," he said.

[owais.usmani]

[Xeric]

Pakistan's plan for South Waziristan offensive | WORLD News

Pakistan's plan for South Waziristan offensive

Published: 10:12PM Thursday October 08, 2009

Source: Reuters


The Pakistani army is preparing an offensive on the Pakistani Taliban in their stronghold of South Waziristan near the Afghan border.

The United States sees a concerted push by Pakistan to eliminate Taliban and al Qaeda sanctuaries in its territory as key to turning around a faltering US-led war in Afghanistan.

Here are some questions and answers about the offensive:

Who is the military targeting?

Several militant factions are based in lawless ethnic Pashtun tribal areas in the northwest, along the Afghan border. The groups include the Pakistani Taliban, based in South Waziristan, and other factions that concentrate on their battle to expel US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan. Foreign fighters, including an estimated 1,000 Uzbeks, most of whom are with the Pakistani Taliban, as well as Arab al Qaeda fighters and militants from Pakistan's Punjab province are scattered through the region. For now, despite US pressure for action against the Afghan Taliban, the army is focusing on the Pakistani Taliban, who poses the greatest threat to Pakistan.

How many militants, soldiers?

Two divisions, or up to 28,000 soldiers, are in place, which the military says is a sufficient number to take on an estimated 10,000 hardcore Taliban in rugged South Waziristan. The region is criss-crossed by jagged mountains laced by ravines of which the military has little knowledge. Standard counter-insurgency doctrine suggests a soldier to insurgent ratio of up to 10:1 is needed. Pakistan had earlier cited shortages of helicopters, armoured vehicles and precision weapons in putting off the assault. But US defence officials said this week Pakistan had mobilised enough forces and equipment to launch the offensive. US officials acknowledge Pakistan needs more armoured vehicles and night-vision devises and one said the Pentagon was trying to free up helicopters and other equipment.

What tactics?

The army has been trained to take on forces from old rival India in conventional battle and analysts say its counter-insurgency capabilities are weak. The military rejects that. Nevertheless, the army has traditionally relied on air strikes and long-range artillery, rather than small foot patrols that counter-insurgency experts say are essential to protect and win over the population and glean intelligence. The army's use of heavy fire power has in the past displaced large numbers of civilians while the militants and their leaders have often melted away to reappear later. The United States believes the Pakistanis will have to clear and hold territory to crush the militants loyal to the late Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud. Many members of the South Waziristan tribes sympathise with the militants and the military will be at pains to avoid an uprising. The army sent troops in to South Waziristan in 2004 but they met surprisingly fierce opposition and suffered heavy casualties. Authorities later agreed to a peace deal.

When might the offensive begin?

The military says its operation in South Waziristan has already begun. For months, the military has been launching air and artillery strikes, while moving troops, blockading the region and trying to split off factions. The military has declined to say when ground troops will be sent in. Snow is likely by late November, but some analysts argue snow will be more of a problem for the militants, who use high mountain trails that will become impassable, than for the military which has some cold-weather warfare capability and aircraft for transport.

What implications for Afghanistan?

In the short-term, an assault on the Pakistani Taliban will have little impact on Afghan violence. In the longer term, if the assault is successful, the United States will press Pakistan to turn its attention to Afghan Taliban factions in South Waziristan and neighbouring North Waziristan. It remains to be seen if Pakistan can be convinced to act with full force against the groups it sees as useful to counter the influence of old rival India in Afghanistan, especially if the United States declines to send more troops to Afghanistan and is seen to be losing heart for the Afghan war and pushing for talks with the Taliban.

[ajpirzada]

its so funny they give us the 'tactics' lecture..... our jawans have not only defeated swat talibans but have also won hearts and minds of swatis

[DarkStar]

Pakistan 'starts Taliban assault'

Fierce fighting has broken out as the Pakistan army battles Taliban militants in their remote strongholds in the South Waziristan province.
Local officials said 30,000 troops, backed by artillery, had moved into the region where Pakistan Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud is based.

Officials said the Taliban were resisting as troops mobilised from the north, east, and west.
A curfew was imposed in the region before the offensive began
.
There have been several co-ordinated Taliban attacks in recent days, killing more than 150 people in several Pakistan cities.
Local officials said there were dozens of casualties as both sides used heavy weapons.
The bodies of three Pakistan soldiers were taken to the northern town of Razmak.

Nearly all communications in the region were down after the Taliban destroyed a telecommunications tower at Tiarza, local officials said.

Three-pronged attack

Troops were moving from Razmak, between North and South Wazirstan; from Jandola in the east; and from Shakai in the west.

FORCES IN WAZIRISTAN
Pakistan army: Two divisions totalling 28,000 soldiers
Frontier Corp: Paramilitary forces from tribal areas likely to support army
Taliban militants: Estimated between 10,000 and 20,000
Uzbek fighters supporting Taliban: Estimates widely vary between 500-5,000

They were reported to be moving towards Makeen, Spinkai Raghzai and Tiarza.
The ground operation comes after weeks of air and artillery strikes against militant targets in the region, which lies close to the Afghan border.

Thousands of civilians have fled South Waziristan in anticipation of the offensive.
Transport has been difficult as roads have been blocked by the military.
There is a huge army presence on the road between Tank and Dera Ismail Khan, says the BBC's Islamabad correspondent Shoaib Hasan, near South Waziristan.

On his way to South Waziristan, he passed several army convoys on the road.
There has been no comment from the Pakistan military yet.
The mobilisation came a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani held a meeting of the country's senior political and military leadership.

Lengthy planning

Recent militant attacks were seen as an attempt to divide public opinion, but they appear to have strengthened the resolve of the government, which says the Taliban must now be eliminated, our correspondent added.

The army has been massing troops near the militants' stronghold for months - ever since the Governor of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province ordered at ground offensive in South Waziristan on 15 June.
Pakistan's government has been under considerable pressure from the US to tackle militancy there.
North and South Waziristan form a lethal militant belt from where insurgents have launched attacks across north-west Pakistan as well as into parts of eastern Afghanistan.

South Waziristan is considered to be the first significant sanctuary for Islamic militants outside Afghanistan since 9/11.
It also has numerous training camps for suicide bombers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8311927.stm

[Neo]

Ground offensive begins in Pakistan al-Qaida haven

By MUNIR AHMAD and NAHAL TOOSI

ISLAMABAD – More than 30,000 Pakistani soldiers launched a major ground offensive in the main al-Qaida and Taliban stronghold along the Afghan border early Saturday, officials told The Associated Press — the nuclear-armed U.S. ally's toughest test yet against militants aiming to topple the state.

The offensive in South Waziristan follows months of airstrikes intended to soften up militant defenses that have also forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee. The full-scale operation also comes after two weeks of militant attacks that have killed more than 175 people across Pakistan and ramped up the pressure on the army to take on the insurgents.

It is the army's fourth attempt since 2001 to dislodge Taliban fighters from lawless tribal region of South Waziristan, and an intelligence official said the latest effort could take up to two months. The three previous attempts ended in negotiated truces that left the Taliban in control.

The offensive is expected to focus on ridding the region of the Pakistani Taliban, a network opposed to the U.S.-backed Pakistani government. The group's influential leader, Baitullah Mehsud, died in a U.S. missile strike in August. But South Waziristan also is home to foreign and local jihadis suspected of planning attacks on U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan and targets throughout the West.

The U.S. is racing to send night-vision goggles and other equipment to aid the operation.

Local resident Ajmal Khan said people in his town, Makeen, heard the sounds of battle and were terrified but could not leave their homes due to a curfew. Makeen is a key hideout for Taliban militants.

"We heard sounds of planes and helicopters early Saturday. Then we heard blasts. We are also hearing gunshots and it seems the army is exchanging fire with Taliban," Khan told AP via telephone.

South Waziristan is remote and mountainous. It has a porous border with Afghanistan and fiercely independent tribes who have long resisted government interference. With winter snows just weeks away, the army has limited time to pursue ground attacks. Even if it does manage to wipe out its intended targets, it's unclear whether troops will try to occupy the area to prevent the militants from returning. Even if the operation is successful, many could escape to Afghanistan or other parts of Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal belt.

The officials Saturday — two with intelligence, three with the government and one senior army official — gave few details but said the troops were pursuing militants holed up in the region, including in major trouble spots such as Makeen and Ladha towns.

The army has sent more than 30,000 troops to the region to participate in the combat, said one of the intelligence officials. He said the ground forces were attacking from different directions while helicopter gunships and other aircraft also were bombing various sites.

The military already has said it already has sealed off many supply and escape routes.

All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information or because they did not have authority to release it to media on the record. It is nearly impossible to verify information from the region independently. Foreigners require special permission to enter the tribal areas and it is risky for Pakistani journalists from other parts of the country to operate there.

Mindful of its previous, half-hearted interventions in South Waziristan, this time the military has said there will be no deals, partly to avoid jeopardizing gains won earlier this year when Pakistani soldiers overpowered the Taliban in the Swat Valley, another northwest region.

In an attempt to show national unity, top political leaders, including the prime minister, met with army commanders Friday to discuss security strategy and voiced their support for operations against militant strongholds.

In a previous interview with The AP, army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said the assault would be limited to the holdings of Mehsud, the slain Taliban leader — a swath of territory that stretches roughly 1,275 square miles (3,310 square kilometers). That portion covers about half of South Waziristan, which itself is slightly larger than the U.S. state of Delaware.

The plan is to capture and hold the area where Abbas estimates 10,000 insurgents are headquartered and reinforced with about 1,500 foreign fighters, most of them of Central Asian origin. "There are Arabs, but the Arabs are basically in the leadership, providing resources and expertise and in the role of trainers," he said.

Part of the military's strategy also includes striking deals with tribal elders and some militant leaders who were opposed to the Mehsud factions. The idea is to either gain those groups' assistance, or at least keep them neutral.

Mehsud has been succeeded by a fellow tribesman, Hakimullah Mehsud, who has vowed retaliation against Pakistan if it pursues his fighters. His spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday. Communications in and around the region were spotty.

The army expects the militants to use guerrilla tactics including ambushes, suicide attacks and roadside bombs. A roadside bomb hit a security convoy in Ladha early Saturday, killing one soldier and wounding three others, two other intelligence officials said.

Despite sometimes rocky relations with the Pakistani military, the U.S. is trying to rush in equipment that would help with mobility, night fighting and precision bombing, a U.S. Embassy official told The AP in a recent interview, speaking on condition of anonymity because the issue is politically sensitive.

In addition to night-vision devices, the Pakistan military has said it is seeking additional Cobra helicopter gunships, heliborne lift capability, laser-guided munitions and intelligence equipment to monitor cell and satellite telephones.

The army has considered the weather in the timing the offensive. Snows in the region could block major roads. At the same time, a harsh winter could work to the army's advantage by driving fighters out of their unheated mountain hideouts.

Amnesty International said Friday that its research teams in the area report 90,000 to 150,000 residents have fled South Waziristan since July, when the military began a long-range artillery and aerial bombardment in the region.

Although the military has been hitting targets in South Waziristan for the past three months, it waited until two weeks ago to say it would definitely go ahead with a major ground offensive.

What followed was a rash of major bombings that killed 175 people and demonstrated the militants' ability to attack cities across the county. One attack involved a siege of the army's headquarters that lasted 22 hours and left 23 people dead. In the latest bombing, three suicide attackers, including a woman, struck a police station in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Friday, killing 13 people.
___

Associated Press writers Kathy Gannon in Islamabad, Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan and Hussain Afzal in Parachinar contributed to this report.

[DarkStar]

Eyewitness: At the edge of war



By Syed Shoaib Hasan
BBC News, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan border




Fleeing civilians have made the town of Dera Ismail Khan their destination

For Pakistan's much-maligned security forces, this offensive in South Waziristan is a chance to prove to the world how committed they are in the battle against militancy.

"There are bombs going off everywhere - you must tell the world what is happening," Sher Gul, a terrified resident of Tiarza in South Waziristan told the BBC after arriving in Dera Ismail Khan.
"My house was destroyed and many people in my village have been killed."
The fighting in Tiarza is part of the Pakistan army's operation in South Waziristan.
It has been called the most significant battle against militancy in the region.
It is also the end of a long wait for the rest of the world - and especially the United States. The authorities there waited with bated breath as Pakistan's leadership took its time to make up its mind on the issue.
But things probably came to a head with the recent string of deadly attacks which have rocked the country in recent weeks.

These seem to have galvanised the leadership and forced the issue.

Escape routes blocked
Early signs were clear as we arrived in Dera Ismail Khan on Friday. All mobile phone networks within the district were blocked.


We are caught between the government and the Taliban. We have lost everything and are stuck here till the fighting ends


Mohammad Roshan, South Waziristan resident

We later learned that networks had also been blocked in Bannu and the Lakki Marwat districts, both near the Waziristan region.
These are likely routes by which civilians who live in South Waziristan would attempt to leave the region but it could also be an escape route for militants.
We saw army convoys moving from the city of Dera Ismail Khan to Tank.
The town is known as the gateway to South Waziristan and has long been the launching pad of any military adventure in that region.
Reports started coming in early on Saturday that thousands of troops had started moving towards the Taliban-controlled tribal belt from three directions.
This was evident while we were travelling on the road.
Several military convoys carrying troops and ammunition were shepherded in the direction of South Waziristan by security details.
The going was slow. Civilian vehicles are not allowed to pass a military convoy here because of fears of suicide car bombs.
There have been several such attacks on this road and we therefore chose to keep our distance.
There were also checkpoints where we had to stop for passing convoys or to prove our identity.


Pakistan has been on alert after a wave of bombings hit cities last week

Grim-faced soldiers manned them warily regarding every vehicle as if it were a ticking bomb.
As a result, instead of the half-hour drive, it took us two frustrating hours to reach the border of South Waziristan.
During this time, we also passed several vehicles laden with refugees and their families heading towards Dera Ismail Khan.
People hung off vehicles, clinging to whatever part of it they could hold on to to get a ride into town.
Usually bustling with activity in the afternoon, there was a distinct air of tension as we drove through the main market.
Troops were omnipresent and traffic in the town was thin.
Civilian exodus
We headed in the general direction of the Frontier Corps compound in Tank, right at the edge of town.

The terrain will play a great factor and the militants have always used it to their advantage


Local administration official, Dera Ismail Khan

Just past it is a dilapidated security checkpoint on a road heading west.
This is the start of South Waziristan, and the road heads to Jandola, the region's first major town.
It is from this point that most of the civilian population of South Waziristan left the region.
We hoped to find some more weary souls trudging in from the war zone but discovered that the route had been shut down by the military.
Before we left the town, local administration officials told us that the fighting was centred in Tiarza, Makeen and Spinkai Raghzai.
According to them, there have been dozens of casualties on both sides as the militants put up fierce resistance.
"The terrain will play a great factor and the militants have always used it to their advantage," says one official.
"For the ground troops it will be tough going as the cold wave sweeps in."
In Dera Ismail Khan, though, we found the real casualties of war lining up to register their newly-displaced status.


"We are caught between the government and the Taliban," says Mohammad Roshan, a South Waziristan resident.
"We have lost everything and are stuck here till the fighting ends."
For Pakistan's government, this is the real test.
The militants know that the state cannot afford a prolonged operation.
As winter approaches, the government needs a rapid conclusion to this campaign.
Anything else could have lasting consequences for the future of militancy in the region.
For the security forces this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to finally bury the militant threat which has returned to haunt them.

[vinod2070]

Pakistani Troops Move In for ‘Mother of All Battles”

October 17, 2009 - 4:11 AM | by: Scott Heidler Islamabad – A Pakistani government official has confirmed to Fox News that the military ground operation has started and the military has also confirmed that mass numbers of Pakistan soldiers have crossed into the South Waziristan agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) for Operation Path of Salvation.
Air strikes and artillery barrages continue to soften militant targets today. Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is expected to hold a nationally televised address tonight on the operation.
The much talked about and much anticipated offensive is designed to take the fight directly to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Pakistan Taliban movement’s HQ in South Waziristan. Its new leader Haqimullah Mehsud launched a guerrilla campaign of attacks over the last 12 days that have killed over 175 Pakistan civilians, security forces and law enforcement officers.
A meeting of high-ranking military and political leaders last night here in Islamabad gave the military the green light to launch what has been called here ‘The Mother of All Battles” in South Waziristan.
It’s expected to be a hard battle for the Pakistan military as three attempts to take on the Taliban and al Qaida in the remote area failed, ending in peace agreements. Also, since FATA is semi-autonomous, the government and military have never had a full-time and continuous presence in South Waziristan. The government saying there is zero possibility of an agreement this time.
The United Nations and aid agencies are bracing for more fleeing civilians as the battle draws near. More than 100,000 civilians have already left the area.