Finally, we see somewhat of a new military offensive in Pakistan's northwest - no, it's not the dream offensive of North Waziristan but another hotly fought over agency, Mohmand. Mohmand agency is right smack dab on the Afghan border and has seen tons of fighting over the past few years. With the Pakistani military push into Mohmand, tens of thousands of civilians are getting out of town (or agency, in this case).
From the article at DAWN:
About 22,000 Pakistani civilians have fled a fresh military push against Taliban fighters in the lawless tribal area on the Afghan border, officials said Thursday.
The offensive is concentrated in Mohmand district, part of the semi-autonomous region that Washington considers a global nexus of Al-Qaeda and Taliban.
“Over the last few days about 22,000 people have been registered in the two camps that UNHCR has helped to set up,” UN Refugee Agency spokeswoman Ariane Rummery told AFP.
Amjad Ali, the top administrative official in Ghalanai, the main town of Mohmand, confirmed the number.
“We are providing them with food, non-food items and tents,” he told AFP.
Ali said the ground and air offensive is targeting local Taliban and other fighters who have fled operations elsewhere in the semi-autonomous tribal belt, including the premier fortress of Waziristan.
“We have sealed the border with Afghanistan and also sent in troop reinforcements,” he said.
An official in Pakistan’s Frontier Corps paramilitary said more than 70 militants had been killed over five days of fighting and confirmed that thousands of people have been displaced.
With 70 Taliban killed so far, I'd say that's a nice start. It will be interesting to see just how long the Pakistani military will stay in Mohmand or if this is just a bit of a show for foreign powers - it's been a long span since the last offensive which was in South Waziristan and some foreign countries (like the U.S.) have been pushing the Pakistani government for more crackdown on the Taliban.
But this Mohmand agency offensive STILL isn't the promised one in North Waziristan. I actually think the Pakistani government is afraid to go into North Waziristan because it could be in there for a year or so - the Taliban and al Qaeda call North Waziristan "home." It is, quite frankly, lousy with the buggers. Not only would an offensive be bloody there, it would take a very long time and the Pakistani government just might not have the stomach for a long drawn out siege.
About 22,000 flee Mohmand offensive: UN
PESHAWAR: About 22,000 Pakistani civilians have fled a fresh military push against Taliban fighters in the lawless tribal area on the Afghan border, officials said Thursday.
The offensive is concentrated in Mohmand district, part of the semi-autonomous region that Washington considers a global nexus of Al-Qaeda and Taliban.
“Over the last few days about 22,000 people have been registered in the two camps that UNHCR has helped to set up,” UN Refugee Agency spokeswoman Ariane Rummery told AFP.
Amjad Ali, the top administrative official in Ghalanai, the main town of Mohmand, confirmed the number.
“We are providing them with food, non-food items and tents,” he told AFP.
Ali said the ground and air offensive is targeting local Taliban and other fighters who have fled operations elsewhere in the semi-autonomous tribal belt, including the premier fortress of Waziristan.
“We have sealed the border with Afghanistan and also sent in troop reinforcements,” he said.
An official in Pakistan’s Frontier Corps paramilitary said more than 70 militants had been killed over five days of fighting and confirmed that thousands of people have been displaced.
Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Information Minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, attributed a recent spike in bomb attacks on civilians to the fresh operation.
“Whenever action is taken in the tribal areas, militants react here in the settled areas. Fresh bomb blasts are reaction of the Mohmand operation,” he told AFP in the provincial capital Peshawar.
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