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Al-Qaeda flees back into Afghanistan
A Pakistani military operation meant to capture Taliban and Al Qaeda fugitives has forced some suspects to seek refuge across the border in Afghanistan, intelligence officials said on Thursday.
With the cross-border movement, Pakistan achieved one of the primary goals of its operation this week in its lawless border regions - prompting the fugitives to be driven into territory where US and Afghan troops operate, security officials said while speaking on condition of anonymity.
The three senior intelligence and government officials gave no indication of what prompted them to be so certain of their assessment and didnât offer any specific intelligence to back up their claims. âThe goal was to force them to leave our areas - or to capture them,â one senior security official said. âWe were successful.â
Investigators have been questioning 25 suspects, including four foreigners, captured in Tuesdayâs operation near Wana, about 300 kilometres west of Islamabad. There was no indication that any senior Al Qaeda leader was among the four. The remaining suspects appear to be local tribesmen.
The security officials cautioned, however, that some fugitives might still be hiding in the Pakistani areas bordering Afghanistan, where the inhabitants are linked by language and culture to Afghan Pashtuns, the ethnic group that was the Talibanâs power base. âSome foreigners may still be hiding there,â said Gen Shaukat Sultan, the spokesman for the Pakistani army. âWe will eliminate them.â
Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-02-27 |
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