Peshawar, October 18: The Pakistan army moved troops into Taliban strongholds in South Waziristan, at the start of a much-awaited military operation to uproot militants from the region.
“The military operation will be restricted to the heartland of Baitullah Mehsud group,” Major General Ather Abbas, the director general of inter services public relations (ISPR), told.
“The objective of this operation is to take the control of the area, which is the headquarters of 10,000 local and 1500 foreign militants.”
Warplanes bombed Taliban bases as ground troops advanced north, west and east out of garrisons into the Taliban stronghold.
Hundreds of army vehicles thrust early morning into Jandola, the entry point to South Waziristan and moved into areas controlled by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“I saw scores of army vehicles loaded with heavy weaponry moving towards South Waziristan this (Saturday) from Jandola,” Irfan Hussein, a local journalist, told.
From east, troops advanced to Sararogha and Kitkai areas from Jandola.
From the northern front, army troops moved from Rizmik, the border between South and North Waziristan, to Nawazkot, Laddha, Makeen and Shakai areas.
From the south, troops advanced from Sarokai and Tiarzai and adjoining areas of Wana, the capital of South Waziristan, into the Taliban stronghold.
Army officials said three soldiers were killed and five others wounded in clashes with Taliban militants during advancement into their strongholds.
“Forces have besieged these areas,” General Abbas said.
“All the supply routes to militants are being closed so that they cannot get the required fuel and weapons.”
Saturday’s operation follows a series of Taliban attacks across the country that killed more than 150 people.
Curfew
The army declines to give a deadline to complete their military offensive against the Taliban in the region.
“It is hard to give any specific deadline because Waziristan is a difficult area,” a senior military official told, wishing not to be named.
“I guess it will take one or one and half months.
“We will try our best to accomplish the mission before winter,” he said.
Waziristan is relatively a lesser cold area compared to other parts of the tribal areas. It hardly witnesses snowfall in winter.
Pakistani authorities have slapped an indefinite curfew across South Waziristan ahead of the army operation.
Hundreds of people have left the area ahead of the military operation against the Taliban.
Authorities have registered 90,000 families displaced from their homes in South Waziristan ahead of the military offensive.
The government and some NGOs have set up shelter camps in Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan districts for the displaced families.
The Pakistani army launched a deadly offensive in Swat in April to uproot Taliban militants from the area.
The assault forced nearly 4 million people from their homes and wrecked a large scale of destruction in the region.
-Agencies