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Foreign militants cordoned in Pak tribal region: Army

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, June 12, IRNA -- Pakistan security forces have cordoned 
three "targets" in the country`s semi-autonomous tribal areas where 
cross-firing with over 50 foreign militants continued on Friday, 
military spokesman Major Gen Shaukat Sultan said. 
Addressing a news conference in Rawalpindi, he said the "Al-Qaeda 
financer Al-Hadi Al-Iraqi, who used to visit and stay in one of the 
houses located some four kilometers in the northeast of Shakai, is 
one of these targets." 
Pakistan security forces launched a fresh operation in the 
northeast of Shakai, near Wana, the main town of South Waziristan 
Friday morning after receiving credible intelligence that the foreign 
militants are regrouped in the area, Gen Sultan said. 
He said that the security forces, with the support of air power, 
have identified three targets A, B and C. 
The local leader of Al-Qaeda is living in the house located in 
the B target that is identified as target A, whereas Al-Iraqi`s house 
has been identified in the compound located in target A, he added. 
"There are two compounds also identified in target C at the peak 
of the mountain; these are the safe houses of Al-Qaeda militants," 
Sultan said. 
"Many of the miscreants including foreign militants were killed 
in Friday`s operation. However so far five dead bodies of foreign 
militants have been recovered," he further said. 
"A target of the militants has been completely destroyed." 
The general, while sharing his intelligence information with 
reporters, said that there "were some 8 to 10 militants in a house of 
a local tribal named Eida Khan. The militants forcibly took possession
of his house. Target A is completely destroyed." 
He said one of the isolated compounds in target A is a training 
camp for militants. 
Talking about target B, the general said that in target B some 20 
to 30 militants are estimated to be staying. 
"There is a compound in target B which is being used by militants 
for transit stay." 
The general, while referring to intelligence reports, said that 
the two safe houses identified as target C could accommodate some 50 
militants at a time. 
He, however, did not rule out the possibility of more militants 
militants staying in target C. 
When asked if any other high-level target could possibly be found 
in the vicinity, the general said: "I have no idea about that." 
General Sultan said that four foreign militants were arrested on 
June 9 but refused to share any information gathered from them. 
He also refused to give the name of the local Al-Qaeda leader 
living in the vicinity, saying only that "he is a local commander of 
Al-Qaeda." 
However, in response to another question, he said, "He is a local 
commander of Al-Qaeda and not a Pakistani." 
The general said that the Yargulkheil tribe had misused the 
government`s offer of amnesty and violated the agreement when it 
attacked the checkpoints of security forces on June 9. 
"They abused the tribal traditions and agreement." 
He said that 15 security troops, including 6 Pakistanis, and 
nine frontier corps (paramilitary) soldiers as well as 35 miscreants 
including a number of foreigners were also killed in the cross-fire. 
He said the tribal man wanted by army forces, Nek Mohammad, 
is only a local facilitator "and nothing more than this." 
General Sultan said that the operation will continue, but since 
"it is not a regular warfare it would be hard to talk about achieving 
the goal of complete flushing out of foreign militants." 
The general, however, said that the government would continue 
pursuing the politio-military process in order to settle the issue of 
foreign militants in the area. 
The tribal lashkar (local army of tribesmen) entered the vicinity 
where foreign militants are hiding. "But they were not allowed to 
enter the areas and were warned of dire consequences." 
"The government will continue punishing Yargulkhel tribesmen 
wherever they have their property, houses or business in the tribal 
areas as they are traitors and abused the Shakai agreement," the 
spokesman said. 
TK/TSH/2321/1432