Islamabad
28 June 2008
Security forces in Pakistan have begun an operation against pro-Talibanmilitants in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan and serving as amajor route for trade and supplies to U.S-led foreign forces basedthere. The offensive has provoked an al-Qaida-linked self-proclaimedcommander of the Pakistani Taliban to suspend peace talks with thegovernment. From Islamabad, Ayaz Gul has more details.
Officialssay paramilitary forces are leading the offensive in the Khyber tribalregion and have destroyed key militant bases without any significantresistance. They say that most of the militants have retreated tomountains close to the Afghan border.
The government began thecrackdown following increased sightings of Taliban militants in partsof the nearby city of Peshawar, just two hours drive from the Pakistanicapital.
In a major extremist action earlier this month in thenorthwestern city, suspected Taliban fighters briefly kidnapped some 16members of the minority Christian community. There were also reports ofmilitants warning traders against video and music business.
Regionalpolice chief, Malik Naveed Khan, tells VOA that criminal gangs werebehind the kidnapping and other incidents but, as he puts it, mediablew them out of proportion. He says the operation in the adjoiningKhyber tribal region is meant to punish tribal criminals responsiblefor these attacks. The police chief says security forces are focusingon the town of Bara, which borders Peshawar.
"There were onlysome incursions from the tribal gangs in which unfortunately someChristians were kidnapped who were immediately released within tenhours," he explained. "And after that we strengthened our positions onthe [city] borders and after that no such incident has taken place. Thegovernment has launched an operation in Bara against these miscreants,and they have successfully pushed them back and they have takensuccessful action against them."
Residents say that paramilitarysoldiers have set up bunkers in areas of Peshawar close to the scene ofmilitary action and patrolled the streets in vehicles mounted withmachine guns.
Saturday's anti-militant operation in thenorthwestern border region of Khyber marks the first major militaryaction the new Pakistani government headed by Prime Minister YousufRaza Gilani has launched.
Speaking to reporters by telephonefrom his stronghold in the South Waziristan tribal region,self-proclaimed commander of Pakistani Taliban, Baitullah Mehsud,demanded the government immediately halt the security operation.
Themilitant leader says he is suspending peace talks with the governmentand his fighters will retaliate until the offensive is stopped.
PrimeMinister Gilani started the peace dialogue with militants throughtribal elders several months ago to try to end militancy and violencein tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan.
Commandersof the U.S.-led coalition forces and Afghan authorities have longmaintained the Pakistani border regions are being used by Taliban andal-Qaida militants for attacks in Afghanistan. They have criticized thegovernment's peace talks, saying such deals will lead to more attackson Afghan and foreign forces.