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WANA (South Waziristan): Pakistan set off a fresh operation with an assault on a suspected an al-Qaeda hide-out, close to the Afghan border on Thursday, using its jet fighters and ground forces after skirmishes between the security and the suspects, which left six people dead, including five militants.
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Troops, backed by warplanes, helicopter gun ships and hundreds of troops ambushed the hide-out in Angoor Ada, a small town in tribal South Waziristan, the scene of the latest offensive against Al Qaeda suspects.

The offensive wrapped up earlier this week, leaving at least 72 people dead, including 17 soldiers.
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It was not clear how rebels or soldiers were killed in Thursday's action, which followed an attack Wednesday by dozens of insurgents on two military posts in South Waziristan.

Miscreants' hide out Destroyed

Security forces Thursday destroyed a hide out of miscreants near Angor Ada.

"Security forces have targeted a suspected miscreant hide out near Angor Ada in which the hide out was completely destroyed", official sources said. "Security forces suffered no casualty," they added.

Response of the security forces to unprovoked firing by miscreants of June-9 is continuing in different areas of South Waziristan Agency.

Security forces have already destroyed a miscreant sanctuary in North East of Shakai and other hide outs of miscreants are being knocked out at opportune times.

Militants Attack Scouts Camp

An earlier report said that the militants or the anti-Government elements in the South Waziristan Agency continued attacking the official installations and launched ambush at the Scouts Camp at Government High School Saam in the Ladha sub-division Thursday. As the official forces returned fire, no loss of life was reported from anywhere.

Reports reaching Peshawar from Wana, the headquarters of the South Waziristan Agency, said the miscreants launched assault at the scouts camp in the Government School in Ladha sub-division Thursday mid-night [2:00 am that is 21:00 GMT] and fired a number of rockets and besides resorting to heavy firing with the sophisticated weapons. As the firing continued for more than three hours, the official forces also retaliated with full might forcing the assailants to flee.

However, no loss of life was reported from any side. The rocket launcher shells resulted in small damage to the school building. The attack, as the reports say, was launched from the south at school building, which is housing the Army Jawans and the scouts for the last couple of months.

Objectives n’ Perspective

And in Rawalpindi, the Army spokesman, Major General Shaukat Sultan reiterated Thursday that the army aimed to rid the region of miscreants. "There is a suspected terrorist hide- out which is being searched," he said.

An earlier offensive ended on Sunday after attacks using artillery, helicopter gun ships and jet fighters.

Since Sunday there have been at least two incidents of fighting - in one dozens of militants attacked a border security post.

Authorities have been trying to persuade rebellious sub-tribes protecting suspected foreign militants to hand them over for registration, so far unsuccessfully.

Instead, the tribesmen have been digging in, staging lightning strikes against the forces, assigned for security of people in the tribal belt.

They accuse the security forces of fighting against them on behalf of the Americans who are continuing to mount anti-Taliban operations across the rugged border in Afghanistan.

Highly significant

"It is the continuation of the operation which started last week in response to the attack on our security forces," the military spokesman told Pakistan’s first independent daily newspaper on the Web, ‘Pakistan Times’.

"Wherever we find a hideout or base of militants we will knock it out," he said.

Reports indicate that the latest maneuvers are highly significant, because they are taking place in the mountainous Angor Adda area—treated as one of the last strongholds of foreign militants.

Analysts say they will be regarded by the army as the culmination of their ongoing efforts to flush foreign forces out of South Waziristan.

Sealing of Border Areas

Troops are also trying to seal most of the South Waziristan's border areas with Afghanistan.

Residents of Angor Adda—almost 60 Kms west of Wana—say that helicopters have been seen since early Thursday morning.

Authorities in Wana said that they had destroyed al-Qaeda positions in South Waziristan

Militants Fire Rockets

In a separate incident early on Thursday morning, militants are reported to have fired three rockets at a Pakistani security post north of Wana. Witnesses say there were no reports of any casualties.

President Musharraf said earlier this year that between 500-600 al-Qaeda members were hiding in the South Waziristan semi-autonomous area. He has repeatedly pledged not to allow foreign militants to be based in his country.

In-depth

A new operation by security forces in several areas of South Waziristan is in progress amid reports of the flights of over 25 helicopters and jet planes in this process.

The miscreants had fired on security forces without any provocation on June-9 causing some losses to the forces, which compelled them to retaliate and target the hideouts of the miscreants. One such hideout was destroyed in Shakai on June-11 and, today near Angoor Adda, one more, ‘is being knocked out.’

ISPR chief, Major General Shaukat Sultan says, “The operation is on at the moment, and the kind of forces being deployed are in accordance with the need of emanating situation and nature of target confronted with. However, every care is being taken to avoid unjustified losses as only the target is being hit.”

He told that bombings etcetera were not resorted in other places except sporadic exchange of firings with terrorists but these are incidents of minor significance.

Political Process

A political process was on the move under which Jirga and all other activities were continuing but the terrorists fired upon the security forces without provocation on June-9 thus putting a spanner in the political process, the General said.

“As the security forces had incurred some losses in this incident, it was imperative to establish the writ of the government and, with this aim in view, they had to take this action. But the political process has not ended as it is continuing side by side. Yet at the same time, military operation will continue as and when needed,” General Shaukat remarked.