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The Pakistan army bombs militant positions in South Waziristan - Source: ONE News -
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Pakistani forces exchanged heavy fire with Taliban militants, a
day after launching a long-awaited offensive aimed at bringing the
writ of state to lawless tribal lands on the Afghan border.
The government in June ordered the army to launch an offensive in
South Waziristan.
The military has since been conducting air and artillery strikes
to soften up the militants' defences and blockading the
region.
Here are some facts about South Waziristan:
The land
South Waziristan has an area of about 6,620 square km. It borders
Afghanistan to the west, North Waziristan to the north, North West
Frontier Province to the east and Baluchistan province to the
south. Its main town is Wana. It is an arid land of mountains
pocked by dried-up creeks, along with sparse forests and rocky
plains.
The people
South Waziristan has an estimated population of about 500,000, according to the most recent figures, mostly ethnic Pashtuns. Pashtuns are in general religiously conservative and have a reputation for being fiercely independent and hostile to outside interference.
But they also noted for being hospitable and protective of visitors. The Pashtuns are divided into tribes, with the main ones in South Waziristan being the Mehsuds, from whom the Taliban draw much support, and the Wazirs. Tribes are divided into sub-tribes or clans.
The fighting
The main Pakistani Taliban bastion is a wedge of territory in a
Mehsud tribe region, beginning to the northeast of Wana, to the
south of Razmak, on the border with North Waziristan, and to the
northwest of Jandola, on the border with North West Frontier
Province. The Pakistani Taliban heartland does not border
Afghanistan.
The army has launched brief offensives there before, the first in
2004 when it suffered heavy casualties before striking a peace
pact. This time, the army has spent months preparing and it says it
has encircled the main Pakistani Taliban zone.
The army says about 28,000 soldiers are in place to take on an
estimated 10,000 hard-core Taliban. The Taliban forces include
about 1,000 Uzbek militants, who have a reputation for being
ruthless fighters, some al Qaeda Arabs and even a handful of
militants from Western countries.
The army is attacking from three directions, with ground troops
backed by jets, attack helicopters, tanks and artillery.
The militants have had years to prepare their defences and hold
rifles, machineguns, anti-tank weapons, especially rocket-propelled
grenades, mortars and longer-range rockets.
They are also experts in the use of roadside bombs and have been
churning out a stream of suicide bombers.
The United States has also been attacking the militants with
missile-firing drone aircraft even though Pakistan officially
objects to the strikes. Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud
was killed in a missile strike on August 5. His successor has vowed
revenge.
The army has been trying to isolate the Pakistani Taliban in their
stronghold and will be hoping other militant factions, including a
Wazir-dominated faction led by commander Maulvi Nazir in South
Waziristan, and other factions in North Waziristan will stay out of
the battle.
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