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Tough Taliban resistance blunting Pak Army's edge in 'Raah-e-Nijaat' operation: Report | | The Pakistan Army's pledge to root out the Taliban from its den in South Waziristan through the operation named 'Raah-e-Nijaat', is meeting with
significant resistance from the insurgents. According to a detailed briefing on
the week-old ground operation by researchers at the American Enterprise Institute
(AEI), despite repeated claims from the Pakistan Army that it is going to crush
the extremists once for all, the insurgents have retaken one large town, targeted
military vehicles with roadside bombs and held off the army's attack helicopters
with antiaircraft fire. It further states that though the Pakistani Army has a
heavy presence in the region, the insurgents have also been able to coordinate
suicide bombings and assassinations outside Waziristan. "I am not surprised that
Taliban insurgents are opting for a pitched battle here. This is their hometown.
Makeen is probably going to be their hardest fight," The Washington Post quoted
Frederick W. Kagan, Director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise
Institute (AEI), as saying. However, the report also says that the large Government
force, aided by U.S. drone strikes and intelligence, outnumbers the insurgents
and is expected to maintain its methodical, three-pronged push in an attempt to
capture key territory held by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in the tribal stronghold
of slain insurgent leader Baitullah Mehsud, The Nation reported. Earlier in the
day, the Pakistani military had taken control of Kotai in South Waziristan's tribal
belt, which is believed to be the hometown of Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud.
But last Saturday, the Pakistani troops' advance toward Kotkai was slowed by the
large numbers of roadside bombs, which killed at least one soldier. According
to the briefing, the Pakistani force conducting the Waziristan operation comprises
about 30,000 soldiers from the 7th Infantry Division and 9th Infantry Division
of the army's XI Corps, based in Peshawar, and 10,000 members of the Frontier
Corps, which operates in western tribal areas, as well as 500 Special Services
Group commandos and two army aviation squadrons. |
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