North Waziristan Opration
10 October, 2007
People have started shifting to safer places from
troubled area of North Waziristan following deadly
fighting between security forces, and local Taliban
during last five days.
Clashes in different parts of North Waziristan have
so fare claimed 250 lives, including 75 soldiers, and
65 civilians. According to Inter Services Public
Relations (ISPR), some 110 militants have been killed
as the air force jets bombed their suspected hideouts.
US State Department on Tuesday said that Al Qaeda is
using once again Pakistan’s tribal belt as a safe
haven.
The fresh fighting broke out on Saturday, October 6,
the day the country’s military ruler General Pervez
Musharraf got re-elected in a controversial
presidential election.
Area people allege that security forces are
“oppressing” the tribesmen.
Journalists should visit the area so they can see the
miscreants targeted by security forces were in fact
women and children”, they charged.
Army spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad expresses
ignorance about the civilian deaths.
“ I have no report about civilian deaths. Our
operation is very well-targeted. Forces are targeting
militant hideouts only”, he said.
He, however, admitted, that some houses, being used
for attacks on security forces were targeted and some
locals may have died.
Here are some questions
1)Where will this civil war leave us?
2)What are the main reasons of this incessant
trouble in tribal areas and what steps should be taken
to resove this mess?
3) Can Benazir’s return resolve this lingering
crisis?
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