The Pakistani military has tightened a cordon around a suspected al-Qaeda training base in South Waziristan that it bombed on Thursday. The army says 50 militants were killed in the raid. Local witnesses say there were many civilian casualties. The military said it had also killed another six militants and arrested five in overnight clashes. Checkpoints were set up on roads around the main South Waziristan town of Wana after Thursday's raid on the camp near Dila Khula, a village about 25km (15 miles) to the north-east.
Helicopters flew over Dila Khula, a stronghold of the Mehsud tribe which the government says is sympathetic to al-Qaeda militants. Access to the main market in Wana was blocked. Authorities started demolishing shops there belonging to Ba Khan, a tribal leader from whose area soldiers have allegedly been attacked in recent weeks. Military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan said: "Punitive action means people can be sent to prison, their house or shop can be demolished. This all is done by the political administration." General Sultan said the military had a video showing the training of militants and would show it "at an appropriate time".
The general said the overnight skirmishes were in the Kaniguram area. He said there had been losses to security forces but declined to give any details. One commander of militants, Abdullah Mahsud, told the BBC's Haroon Rashid that they had destroyed several army vehicles near the bombed base and that a number of soldiers had been killed.
| Haroon Rashid's a good reporter. He goes around incognito, listening to what the people are really saying... |
The militant leader said hundreds of armed fighters were ready for future attacks on military and government installations. He vowed to take revenge for Thursday's killings. Security has also been tightened up after clashes in the North-West Frontier Province capital, Peshawar. Jets and helicopter gun ships had pounded the suspected training camp on Thursday. The military said 90% of those killed were Uzbeks and Chechens, along with some Arabs. However, local residents said bombs were dropped on a morning prayer gathering and the casualty figures were much higher.
| ... many of them puppies, kittens, and baby ducks... |
One journalist said villagers gathered to survey the damage of a first strike, when Pakistani air forces struck a second time. The army denied there were significant civilian casualties. |