*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - October 20, 2009: The Pakistani Army said Monday that it was progressing in its push into the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, but it acknowledged that it was meeting strong resistance. 
Soldiers patrol near a check post along the road leading from South Waziristan to Dera Ismail Khan, located in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province October 19, 2009. Pakistani forces backed by artillery attacked Taliban insurgents on Monday as the army moved to wrest control of militant strongholds in a lawless region on the Afghan border. The fighting is a new test of the government's determination to tackle an increasingly brazen insurgency that has seen a string of attacks in different parts of the country, including an assault on army headquarters, in which more than 150 people were killed.*
The military began the much anticipated offensive against Taliban militants over the weekend, with about 28,000 troops backed by artillery and fighter jets moving into the region from three directions.
After three days of fighting, army troops had taken control of important tactical heights overlooking the town of Kotkai, which is the home of Qari Hussain, a Taliban commander notorious for training suicide bombers, said Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the army spokesman, at a briefing here. And on Tuesday, Reuters, quoted unnamed security officials as saying the Pakistani forces had captured Kotkai.
In the past 24 hours, 18 militants were killed while two soldiers died in clashes, General Abbas said. Twelve soldiers were wounded. It is difficult to confirm the official figures because no journalists are accompanying the troops, and the area is considered too dangerous for foreign or local journalists to visit independently.
While emphasizing that the military was achieving its targets ahead of schedule, General Abbas did acknowledge that Taliban militants — whose numbers he estimated to be 5,000 to 10,000, along with 1,000 foreigners — were putting up stiff resistance.
Troops managed to secure the northern Sherwangi area after an intense battle. “After heavy fighting, a number of terrorists were killed and their positions captured,” General Abbas said.
Security forces were consolidating their positions in the south and southwest of the town of Razmak, he said.
Pakistani Air Force fighter jets continued to strike militants’ positions, officials said, and several ammunition depots set up inside caves in the Makeen and Ladha areas were destroyed.
Meanwhile, local residents continued to trickle out as heavy fighting raged. A statement issued by the United Nations estimated that more than 170,000 people would be displaced as a result of the military operation, which started Saturday.
However, Pakistani officials said that they did not expect a humanitarian crisis to erupt as a result of the offensive.
Qamar Zaman Kaira, Pakistan’s information minister, said that 14,500 families had registered with the government and were provided with immediate food assistance.
In an effort to win the support of the Mehsud tribe members, who inhabit most parts of the South Waziristan region and form the bulk of the foot soldiers of the Taliban movement, Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Pakistan’s army chief, sent a message to local residents in the form of leaflets, which were dropped from the air.
General Kayani expressed hope that the tribes would stand by the army, according to the letter written in Urdu, the national language, and Pashto, the language of the Pashtun tribes.
Soldiers patrol near a check post along the road leading from South Waziristan to Dera Ismail Khan, located in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province October 19, 2009. Pakistani forces backed by artillery attacked Taliban insurgents on Monday as the army moved to wrest control of militant strongholds in a lawless region on the Afghan border. The fighting is a new test of the government's determination to tackle an increasingly brazen insurgency that has seen a string of attacks in different parts of the country, including an assault on army headquarters, in which more than 150 people were killed.*
The military began the much anticipated offensive against Taliban militants over the weekend, with about 28,000 troops backed by artillery and fighter jets moving into the region from three directions.
After three days of fighting, army troops had taken control of important tactical heights overlooking the town of Kotkai, which is the home of Qari Hussain, a Taliban commander notorious for training suicide bombers, said Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the army spokesman, at a briefing here. And on Tuesday, Reuters, quoted unnamed security officials as saying the Pakistani forces had captured Kotkai.
In the past 24 hours, 18 militants were killed while two soldiers died in clashes, General Abbas said. Twelve soldiers were wounded. It is difficult to confirm the official figures because no journalists are accompanying the troops, and the area is considered too dangerous for foreign or local journalists to visit independently.
While emphasizing that the military was achieving its targets ahead of schedule, General Abbas did acknowledge that Taliban militants — whose numbers he estimated to be 5,000 to 10,000, along with 1,000 foreigners — were putting up stiff resistance.
Troops managed to secure the northern Sherwangi area after an intense battle. “After heavy fighting, a number of terrorists were killed and their positions captured,” General Abbas said.
Security forces were consolidating their positions in the south and southwest of the town of Razmak, he said.
Pakistani Air Force fighter jets continued to strike militants’ positions, officials said, and several ammunition depots set up inside caves in the Makeen and Ladha areas were destroyed.
Meanwhile, local residents continued to trickle out as heavy fighting raged. A statement issued by the United Nations estimated that more than 170,000 people would be displaced as a result of the military operation, which started Saturday.
However, Pakistani officials said that they did not expect a humanitarian crisis to erupt as a result of the offensive.
Qamar Zaman Kaira, Pakistan’s information minister, said that 14,500 families had registered with the government and were provided with immediate food assistance.
In an effort to win the support of the Mehsud tribe members, who inhabit most parts of the South Waziristan region and form the bulk of the foot soldiers of the Taliban movement, Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Pakistan’s army chief, sent a message to local residents in the form of leaflets, which were dropped from the air.
General Kayani expressed hope that the tribes would stand by the army, according to the letter written in Urdu, the national language, and Pashto, the language of the Pashtun tribes.Related Headline News....for full stories click on the links below
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