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Operation Zarb-e-Azb | Updates, News & Discussions.

An Eyewitness Account of Pakistan's War in North Waziristan
Sailab Mehsud


Amid indications that a major military offensive was going to unfold, I attempted to slip into the North Waziristan tribal region earlier this month.

I wanted to report on what really goes on during a military operation in Pakistan's northwestern Federally Administered Tribal Areas, located along the border with Afghanistan, which are often inaccessible to local and foreign journalists because of security conditions and government restrictions.

As I expected, soldiers manning one of the first checkposts outside the northwestern Pakistani city of Bannu stopped me from going to Mir Ali, the first major town in North Waziristan, some 40 kilometers west of Bannu.

They told me that they cannot let me go into a war zone because they will not be able to provide security, and if I am killed the army will be criticized inside the country and internationally.

This forced me and a couple of local journalist friends to sneak into North Waziristan on June 10. We stayed in a small village near Mir Ali for two days, and then moved into North Waziristan's administrative center, Miran Shah, 25 kilometers west of Mir Ali.

On June 15, our fifth day in North Waziristan, the government announced the formal beginning of a "comprehensive operation" against militants in the mountainous region. Security forces imposed a round-the-clock curfew, and so we were forced to stay in a village close to the town of Miran Shah.

We observed the first five days of "Operation Zarb-e-Azb," named by the army after a sword belonging to the Prophet Muhammad.

For years, Islamabad resisted calls by Washington and its allies to cleanse the region of the Afghan Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and an assortment of Central Asian militants who had carved out a sanctuary in North Waziristan.

The current operation, however, has so far failed to convince North Waziristan's residents that Islamabad is sincere or capable of ridding the region from local and foreign extremists. For them, the offensive only represents unspeakable misery and suffering.

The operation was apparently concentrated in a 60-kilometer stretch between Mir Ali and the village of Datta Khel, west of Miran Shah. Pakistani troops were visible everywhere in this region, but more surprising was the presence of Taliban who appeared to be unaffected by the military operation and were visible everywhere.

On June 17, the seventh day of our stay in North Waziristan, we decided to move west to try to cross into neighboring South Waziristan through Shawal, an alpine region that joins the the two parts of Waziristan.

The local Taliban offered to provide protection, and we traveled with them. Again the Taliban were present everywhere, and they had even established checkposts on some of the roads. It is safe to say that the territory between Datta Khel and Shawal, a 60- kilometer road journey, was more or less controlled by the Taliban because there were no troops and no government presence.

Shawal, a series of remote, forested valleys that spans the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, is completely controlled by Taliban factions that are active in the two countries.

The Taliban told us that their fighters were ready to join Hafiz Gul Bahadar and Maulvi Sadiq Noor, two prominent Taliban leaders in North Waziristan, if they decided to resist the Pakistani army offensive in the region.

Contrary to what is reported in Pakistani and Western press about North Waziristan, we saw no evidence of Central Asian militants associated with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, or Arabs loyal to Al-Qaeda.

We tried hard to probe the impact of Pakistani air strikes. In interviews with dozens of North Waziristan residents, including those in villages targeted by sorties, it became apparent that few militants were killed in the aerial bombing strikes, and most victims were civilians.

The Pakistani army claims to have killed nearly 400 militants in North Waziristan in air strikes that began on May 21.

The humanitarian crisis inside North Waziristan is largely hidden from the outside world. So far, nearly half a million residents have fled the offensive. Some have moved west into the southeastern Afghan provinces of Khost and Paktika, while others have gone east to Bannu and other regions in Pakistan.

The massive displacement makes North Waziristan civilians the main losers in the Pakistani offensive. "This situation is deteriorating fast," Shadim Khan, a tribal leader, told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal. "You can see the misery written on everyone's face here."
http://gandhara.rferl.org/content/no.../25432114.html
 
Chickening out , are we? Hafiz Gul Bahadur should hold true to his promise and fight the infidel Pakistan Army like a man , lets see if he can do half a month even .
Read this,

Tribal people in three NWA Tehsils won’t be dislocated
PESHAWAR: The tribal jirga of Razmak, Garyoom and Dossali tehsils in North Waziristan have reportedly made a deal with the authorities under which they would not be displaced and would stay in their villages in return for a promise not to allow foreign militants to hide in their area.

Tribal sources said the arrangement was finalized through the jirga headed by Haji Sher Mohammad, grandson of the late freedom-fighter Faqir Ipi. The Amn (peace) committee of North Waziristan also played a role in concluding the deal.

The people of Razmak, which is a hill-station with a pleasant climate, didn’t want to leave their heavenly abode to live in the hot and dusty plains of Bannu or other districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Their tribal elders and also those from Garyoom and Dossali managed to convince the civil and military authorities to let them stay in their villages and they in turn would ensure that the militants, particularly the foreigners, would not be allowed to live among them.It was learnt that similar arrangements were made with the government by the elders of Spinwam and Shawa tehsils and Eidak village in Mir Ali tehsil.

They too pledged not to allow foreign militants to stay in their area. The authorities rewarded them by allowing them to stay put in their villages.Most of the tribal people who have already left their homes and villages hail from the Mir Ali and Miranshah sub-division and Boya tehsil. The people of Dattakhel tehsil bordering Afghanistan have mostly crossed the Pak-Afghan border to seek refuge in Khost province. Afghan government officials said up to 3,000 families from North Waziristan had reached Afghanistan by Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur-led shura of local Taliban has offered a ceasefire to the government until the 10th day of Eidul Fitr. It has directed its fighters not to undertake any attack against the Pakistan Army troops. Also, it wondered if any military operation was still needed now that the local and foreign militants had already escaped. The shura said it doesn’t want North Waziristan to become a battleground and would do everything to restore peace there.

Tribal people in three NWA Tehsils won’t be dislocated - thenews.com.pk

 
The local Taliban offered to provide protection, and we traveled with them. Again the Taliban were present everywhere, and they had even established checkposts on some of the roads. It is safe to say that the territory between Datta Khel and Shawal, a 60- kilometer road journey, was more or less controlled by the Taliban because there were no troops and no government presence.

Contrary to what is reported in Pakistani and Western press about North Waziristan, we saw no evidence of Central Asian militants associated with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, or Arabs loyal to Al-Qaeda.

The Pakistani army claims to have killed nearly 400 militants in North Waziristan in air strikes that began on May 21.

The humanitarian crisis inside North Waziristan is largely hidden from the outside world. So far, nearly half a million residents have fled the offensive. Some have moved west into the southeastern Afghan provinces of Khost and Paktika, while others have gone east to Bannu and other regions in Pakistan.

.. wtf .. so it is majorly a media war - apart from some real damage and collateral as usual?
 
In a recent statement, Colonel Mansoor Ahmed Janjua, Commandant of the Khyber Rifles, has revealed that funding to terrorist elements in Pakistan comes from the US and India.

The Khyber Rifles are a paramilitary force created during the British colonial era and which is presently part of the Frontier Corps (FC), a larger paramilitary force which operates under the command of the Ministry of Interior in Islamabad and General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.

mansoor_kr_tx.jpg


The Khyber Rifles have long taken part in counter terrorism operations alongside their counterparts in the FC and Pakistan Army.

The remarks by Commandant Khyber Rifles were made during an address at a recent ceremony, details of which are yet to be received.

Read more: US and India funding terrorists in Pakistan, says Commandant Khyber Rifles | Terminal X

Every random Tom, Dick and Harry in Pakistani security establishment shoots off his mouth against India and USA when he does not have any concrete thing to say or result to show. And the worst is that Pakistani public laps it up :D
 
Another 25 militants dead in NWA
Eight terrorist hideouts destroyed | 10 militants fleeing Spinwam, Mirali eliminated, two soldiers embrace martyrdom | IDPs number fleeing cordoned off area crosses 430,000 | WFP starts aid handout | Refugee frustration mounts



ISLAMABAD/peshawar - At least 25 suspected militants were killed in airstrikes and by ground troops of Pakistan Army in North Waziristan Agency as the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), fleeing the cordoned off area, crossed 430,000 on Monday.
“Eight terrorist hideouts around Mirali, North Waziristan Agency were destroyed by jet aircraft early Morning today,” said a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
“15 terrorists were killed in the strikes. Tunnels were spotted in the targeted areas.”
Meanwhile, 10 suspected terrorists were killed while fleeing from the cordoned off area in Spinwam and Mirali areas, said the Army statement. “Two soldiers embraced shahadat (martyrdom) in exchange of fire,” it added.
The statement said that the Pakistan Army troops have foiled several attempts by militants to flee the cordoned off area.
Aerial surveillance, vigorous patrolling and cordon around the area housing terrorists continue as the operation Zarb-i-Azb progresses as per plan, said the ISPR statement.
On IDPs situation, the Pakistan Army said that curfew was relaxed from 6am to 4pm on Monday to facilitate evacuation of leftover local people.
“414,429 IDPs have been registered so far at Saidgai Checkpost. It is believed that remaining people will leave the area today.”
For better management of IDPs at Bannu, Army Engineers Division has been tasked to assist the civil administration at Bannu and Dera Ismael Khan. Troops of the Engineers Division have already reached Bannu.
The Army said that four relief goods delivery points had been established by its engineers division at Bannu, where food items, medical care and cash amount, as announced by the federal government, will be distributed by the concerned civil agency among IDPs of NWA.
A field medical hospital by Army medical corps is also being established at Bannu to provide medical relief to the displaced people, it added.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) on Monday began distributing aid for hundreds of thousands of IDPs, as refugees expressed increasing frustration at delays in assistance and prospects for peace.
Sakeenullah Khan, a 32-year-old tribesman from Anghar village, said that for all the army’s talk of a quick operation lasting just weeks, he was not hopeful of returning home soon.
“The IDPs (internally displaced people) from South Waziristan are still out of their homes and so are those from Khyber, so we doubt peace will return soon,” he said, referring to other operations by the army in recent years.
Forty-year-old Meera Jan, who spoke to AFP from a refugee registration point, said he had already lost his small business after fleeing smaller military strikes over the years.
In addition to their long-term worries, the refugees face immediate concerns such as a lack of basic supplies, including food.
They are forced to live either in tents under the scorching summer heat or to pay exorbitant rents for houses.
The WFP began distributing rations including wheat flour, cooking oil, lentils and high-energy biscuits Monday through a local non-government partner, after police were forced to disperse thousands of protesters angered by hours of delays.
Noor Bat Khan, a 60-year-old resident from Esori village in North Waziristan, criticised authorities for taking so long to act and for not creating enough centres.
Said Nawaz, a 44-year-old who had just arrived in the town from Khutab Khel village in North Waziristan following a temporary curfew relaxation, said he hoped the military this time drove out the insurgents for good.
“We were stuck between the militants and the military for years. Now the government should bomb every house, mosque and markets to eliminate them. We need peace after our sacrifices,” he said.
“You can live under one government, but Waziristan was being ruled by two: the Taliban and the army - so you need to abolish one of them.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan Army on Monday gave residents of North Waziristan until the end of the day to leave the remote mountainous region ahead of a widely anticipated major ground offensive against militants.

“Today is the last day for the people to leave the tribal region,” a military official told Reuters by telephone from Miranshah. “The curfew will be then imposed and preparations made for the ground offensive.”

Many of those who stayed behind - their number is unknown - said they could not afford to pay for cars to take them to safer places such as Bannu, a dusty town on the edge of the region, where most refugees have settled.
“Those who could afford it have left the tribal region, but some are still there and could die in the fighting as they don’t have any means to come out of Waziristan,” Zakirullah Khan said after arriving in Bannu.

He said prices charged by drivers had soared to levels well beyond the budgets of those wanting to leave. Other residents complained the government was not doing enough to help them. Many opted to stay with relatives rather than official camps.
Refugees said settlements in North Waziristan had been reduced to ghost towns.

“In my entire life I have never seen Waziristan so deserted and scary,” said Shad Mir Wazir, a refugee, adding that he saw a number of Taliban militants still hiding in some villages.

Another 25 militants dead in NWA
 
Every random Tom, Dick and Harry in Pakistani security establishment shoots off his mouth against India and USA when he does not have any concrete thing to say or result to show. And the worst is that Pakistani public laps it up :D

What about Indian Security establishment, those Dirty nuclear bomb stories and what not :sarcastic:
 
Every random Tom, Dick and Harry in Pakistani security establishment shoots off his mouth against India and USA when he does not have any concrete thing to say or result to show. And the worst is that Pakistani public laps it up :D

Its interesting how you guys put India next to the USA. Hillarious. Wana beeeees!! The US has its own interests. You can take it out and keep yourself in the conversation. There is PLENTY of US representation here. We don't need you to tag us to create impressions.
Btw, you security establishment does the same. Need I say more about the many consulates working around the border with Pakistan on the Afghani side? or the terrorists training camps supported by India in Tajikstan to conduct terrorism ops in Pakistan......??
 
For the displaced: K-P govt to conduct extensive vaccination campaign


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Peshawar Polio Control Room Focal Person Dr Ikram confirmed to The Express Tribune that the immunisation drive would begin from the last week of June.


PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has planned to launch a three-month-long immunisation campaign in southern districts of the province to vaccinate children displaced from North Waziristan, in order to curb the spread of polio.

An official of the provincial health department while requesting anonymity told The Express Tribune that with the financial support of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the government would initiate a Sehat ka Insaf-like immunisation campaign to vaccinate displaced children against nine diseases including polio.

The campaign will be launched in Bannu, DI Khan, Lakki Marwat and Kohat, as well as other areas, where IDPs are being accommodated. It would begin by the end of June and continue till September, said the official.

“The campaign is specifically designed for children who have migrated from North Waziristan Agency because they have remained unvaccinated since June 2012 due to a ban on polio vaccination imposed by the Taliban,” he added.

“This is a good opportunity for the federal and provincial government to run a massive polio campaign and immunise all the children who have remained unvaccinated for years,” he added.

Peshawar Polio Control Room Focal Person Dr Ikram confirmed to The Express Tribune that the immunisation drive would begin from the last week of June.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2014.
 
Every random Tom, Dick and Harry in Pakistani security establishment shoots off his mouth against India and USA when he does not have any concrete thing to say or result to show. And the worst is that Pakistani public laps it up :D

yes yes and Indians are so truthful thats why they believe in myths.
 
I can totally hear the distinct roar of the PW F-100 engine......and very precise bombings I must say. The PAF is conducting this operation similar to how the US Military conducts similar ops. Good to see the level of expertise and little loss of soldiers that has happened so far. The world will become a much better place to live in after these terrorists are sent to a much higher court up above for a trial.

Only that the trial is not possible ..
Unfortunately after 6 years of this I have come to believe that killing them is the only way out of this.and still this isn't out Its not just those terrorists our neighborhood is creeping with them and their only objective is to destroy Pakistan
 
Why CANNOT I see IDP donation funds on IKF website? I want to donate but there is no option for it as of now. Btw: I don't trust real estate jernail funds. I hope IKF adds that option SOON!
 
What about Indian Security establishment, those Dirty nuclear bomb stories and what not :sarcastic:
Amrika still gives money to the ghairat mand jawans for killing Al Qaeda? Or the end game means no more extra money? We only got serious once the money ran out...But I think the planners in Washington wanna have karma being played out in Pakistan.
 




Zarb-i-Azb: 15 militants killed in N Waziristan, Khyber

By Zahir Shah Sherazi
June 24, 2014

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File photo

PESHAWAR: At least five suspected militants were killed on Tuesday in a clash with security forces in the Mir Ali Tehsil of North Waziristan Agency, while Jet fighters also targeted suspected militant houses in Koki Khel area and Tirrah area of the Khyber Agency.

Official sources said that four suspected militant hideouts were destroyed in Meraban Koki Khel area of Khyber Agency with at least 10 suspected militants were also killed in the offensive.

Related: Zarb-i-Azb: Air strikes, ground troops kill 25 militants in NWA

According to local and tribal sources, at least seven civilians including a woman and children died when a mortar shell or bomb hit a house in the Meraban Loki Khel area which is located in part of Tirrah Valley in the Jamrud Tehsil of Khyber Agency.

The tribesmen said that the house is owned by Khan Wali Kokikhel. The ISPR is yet to issue details on the incidents.

Due to the ongoing military operation at least 430,000 people have fled the region into nearby areas of Pakistan as well as neighbouring Afghanistan, the biggest movement of refugees in Pakistan in years.

Zarb-i-Azb: 15 militants killed in N Waziristan, Khyber - Pakistan - DAWN.COM
 
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Why not use urdu to type? so weird reading english urdu, especially for someone who speaks french. Example, tehsil in french sounds like tisel
 
yes yes and Indians are so truthful thats why they believe in myths.
Our myths are to us what Hadiths are to you. Better not go there . Eh ?

Its interesting how you guys put India next to the USA. Hillarious. Wana beeeees!! The US has its own interests. You can take it out and keep yourself in the conversation. There is PLENTY of US representation here. We don't need you to tag us to create impressions.
Btw, you security establishment does the same. Need I say more about the many consulates working around the border with Pakistan on the Afghani side? or the terrorists training camps supported by India in Tajikstan to conduct terrorism ops in Pakistan......??

For an American, your grasp on English comprehension is fairly weak. Read the post again. May be go slow this time.
 
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