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Pakistanis say they're gonna hit North Waziristan
A Pakistani general warned tribes in North Waziristan on Thursday of an imminent offensive to flush out foreign militants, including al Qaeda fighters, hiding in the region close to the Afghan border.The threat came as the government once again prepared for international media to put Pakistan's war on terrorism under the spotlight following revelations that British-born Pakistanis carried out last week's suicide bomb attacks in London that killed at least 52 people. At a meeting with tribal elders, Major-General Akram Sahi, commander of Pakistani troops in North Waziristan, gave the tribesmen 24 hours to hand over suspected militants. Tension has been building for months in North Waziristan since the army completed a series of offensives to dislodge al Qaeda bases in neighboring South Waziristan. "I want you to hand over these foreigners or send them out yourselves or we will launch an operation against them after the deadline," Sahi told a tribal council in Miranshah, the main town of the semi-autonomous region.
In April, Pakistan bridled over comments made by Lieutenant General David Barno, head of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, that it was planning a big offensive in North Waziristan. Pakistan risked the wrath of the volatile Pashtun tribes when it first sent the army into their homelands in late 2003 to hunt suspected al Qaeda and Taliban militants. Sahi assured the council, or jirga, that foreigners living peacefully would not be harmed but resistance would be met firmly. "This time we will not show a soft hand. There will be no delay in the operation if the foreigners are not flushed out," he said. A Pakistani soldier was killed during a search operation in Miranshah two weeks ago, and Sahi demanded that the killer be handed over. Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-07-14 |
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