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Operation Rah-e-Nijat (South Waziristan)

Forces kill 7 insurgents in Kurram offensive
Updated at: 1036 PST, Sunday, December 13, 2009

KURRAM AGENCY: The security forces’ action against rebels is underway in Kurram Agency meanwhile, as many as seven suspected miscreants have been killed in parts located in the heart of agency on Sunday morning, Geo news reported.

According to details, security forces’ gunship choppers pounded militants’ suspected hideouts in fresh assault, leaving two of their skirmishes shattered completely backed by, forces land troops’ fresh onslaught and as a result, seven terrorists lost their lives.

Two security forces’ personnel also embraced martyrdom during today’s clashes in Tarali locality. Meanwhile, at least 22 miscreants have been killed so far and 5 security men martyred in last 24 hours, sources said.

Security forces have issued militants warning against immediate evacuations of Nalai, Sultani, Tarali and Jani Koat areas, which has led to civilians’ migration from the areas, sources added.

The recently launched action from forces against the hiding miscreants has lasted for a month in many parts of Kurram Agency, sources concluded.
 
HANGU: Troops killed at least 22 militants in Pakistan’s Kurram tribal region, officials said on Sunday.

Troops backed by artillery and fighter aircraft attacked militants in Kurram late on Saturday and on Sunday and destroyed 10 of their hideouts, administration officials and intelligence agents said.

‘About 15 militants were killed in bombing late on Saturday and we have reports of another seven killed on Sunday,’ said a senior government official who declined to be identified as he was not authorised to speak to media.

Intelligence officials confirmed the death toll while a military official said five soldiers had also been killed in the fighting.

Meanwhile, four militants were also killed in Swat’s Charbagh area.
 
Sufficient proof of Indian involvement in attacks: FM
Monday, December 14, 2009


ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has categorically said Pakistan is not involved in the Mumbai terror attacks. On the contrary, he said, Islamabad has substantial evidence to prove New Delhi’s hand in terror activities in the country.

In an interview with an Arab television, Qureshi said the international community also supported the stance that Pakistan was not involved in the Mumbai attacks. “Now, it has been admitted worldwide that Pakistan is above question with regard to the Mumbai terror incident,” Qureshi said.

He reiterated that Islamabad had substantial evidence to prove that New Delhi was involved in terror activities in Pakistan. “We have got concrete evidence regarding the Indian involvement in terror activities in Pakistan,” he said.

Qureshi said that the Mumbai attacks were designed by those elements who wished to sabotage the Pak-India peaceful relations. “The economic progress is vital to counter extremism in the region,” he added.

Sufficient proof of Indian involvement in attacks: FM
 
Are the operations in Kurram part of Rah-e-Nijat, or has a new mission/offensive with a new name begun?
 
Rawalpindi - December 12, 2009:

ISPR Update – 12 December 2009

South Waziristan - Operation Rah-e-Nijat.  

Security forces operating on three axes namely Shakai, Jandola and Razmak have successfully linked up at Dawatoi. Details of the operations during last 24 hours are as follows:-

a.    Jandola Sector.

Security forces successfully established link up between Shakai and Razmak sector and cleared Zawar Sahbi Khel near Dawatoi.

b.    Shakai Sector

(1) Security forces carried out sanitization of Zir Kach Dunca near Kot Raghazai and recovered substantial arms and ammunitions.

(2) Security forces carried out sanitization of Badar Toi Nullah and destroyed 3 caves. 1 terrorist was apprehended.

c.      Razmak Sector

(1) Security forces conducted search operation in area Tangi Algad near Saidullah post and recovered cache of arms and ammunitions including an Artillery Gun and defused 11 IEDs.

(2) Security forces carried out sanitization of village Bibi Raghzai and Shakhah near Dawatoi and cleared 50 compounds. A terrorists Markaz was also destroyed. A chart having pictures of terrorists commanders, suicide bombers, 165, 0000 Afghan currencies, 1 printed document containing manuscript decree of BM to his cadre regarding appointment of commanders and huge cache of arms and ammunitions was recovered.

(3) Security forces carried out domination near area Pash Ziarat and cleared 9 compounds and destroyed 3 bunkers.

2.    Relief Activities.    

22,210 Cash Cards have been issued to displaced families of Waziristan.

---

KIT Over n Out :victory::pakistan::sniper::guns:
 
Are the operations in Kurram part of Rah-e-Nijat, or has a new mission/offensive with a new name begun?
Kurram Agency is north of North Waziristan. Geographically different. I think the main op is yet to begin and it will probably get a new name.
 
The Army operations in FATA are essentially "Carrot and Stick" Affairs.

CARROT
US helping Pakistan in new, vigorous ways: Hillary
DAWN Monday, 14 Dec, 2009

In other words the US will help Pakistan kill more of its citizens on its own soil..

THE STICK
Pakistan must pressurise Afghan Taliban: Petraeus
DAWN Sunday, 13 Dec, 2009

In simple words, Pakistan must earn its keep, or the Reimbursable Invoices for fuel, ammunition and logistics will not be paid. Since the US cannot save its rear end in Afghanistan, Pakistan should “DO MORE”!
 
Its great that Pakistan Government has formally declared Victory in South Waziristan. The question is how much force is now required to sustain the Victory long term?

Probably about 100,000 Army troops, FC and support formations are required to keep South Waziristan, Kurram, Orakzai, Khyber, Mohmand, Bajaur and Swat in good humor on a long term basis.

Compared to static formations in cantonments, proportionally a higher quantum of resources are required to sustain such levels because all these zones are “active”.
 
Its great that Pakistan Government has formally declared Victory in South Waziristan. The question is how much force is now required to sustain the Victory long term?

Probably about 100,000 Army troops, FC and support formations are required to keep South Waziristan, Kurram, Orakzai, Khyber, Mohmand, Bajaur and Swat in good humor on a long term basis.

Compared to static formations in cantonments, proportionally a higher quantum of resources are required to sustain such levels because all these zones are “active”.

Incorrect, after a few years of keeping troops, the troop levels can easily be reduced to far less than 100,000. Local police will take on these functions when they're able to. Our govnt can still muck it up if they don't provide proper support, but your force levels are way off.
 
Its great that Pakistan Government has formally declared Victory in South Waziristan. The question is how much force is now required to sustain the Victory long term?

Probably about 100,000 Army troops, FC and support formations are required to keep South Waziristan, Kurram, Orakzai, Khyber, Mohmand, Bajaur and Swat in good humor on a long term basis.

Compared to static formations in cantonments, proportionally a higher quantum of resources are required to sustain such levels because all these zones are “active”.

What ever resources required Army should be provided also rehabilitation and infrastructure development need to be done for that army long term presence is also required.
 
The Army operations in FATA are essentially "Carrot and Stick" Affairs.

CARROT
US helping Pakistan in new, vigorous ways: Hillary
DAWN Monday, 14 Dec, 2009

In other words the US will help Pakistan kill more of its citizens on its own soil..

THE STICK
Pakistan must pressurise Afghan Taliban: Petraeus
DAWN Sunday, 13 Dec, 2009

In simple words, Pakistan must earn its keep, or the Reimbursable Invoices for fuel, ammunition and logistics will not be paid. Since the US cannot save its rear end in Afghanistan, Pakistan should “DO MORE”!

We have to do this operation against outlaws better on US expense , it is better strategy or not:D
 
Five suspected militants were killed while two soldiers were injured during the military operation, Rah-e-Nijat, in South Waziristan during the last 24 hours.

Inter-Services Public Relations said Shakai sector security forces killed four militants including Abdul Ghafoor, at Mola Khan Sarai. One soldier was also injured during the encounter.

Security forces carried out an operation in village Tanga Patai near China and destroyed nine IEDs and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition. During the encounter one militant was killed while a soldier got injured.

A free medical camp was established at Lattaka near Makeen, which provided free medical treatment and medicines to the patients.

In the on going operation Rah-e-Rast in Swat, security forces conducted searches at Najigram and killed four militants.
 
Pakistan war on Taliban 'has only just begun' - Channel 4 News

Pakistan war on Taliban 'has only just begun'

As Pakistan battles militant insurgency in South Wazirsitan, a Channel 4 News/ITN team finds that this may just be the start of the battle to defeat the Taliban.

On 17 October the Pakistani army launched its much awaited operation to drive the Taliban from South Waziristan, the heartland of the Pakistani Taliban. From there they launched a bombing and terror campaign which engulfed the whole of Pakistan.

We, the Channel 4 News/ITN team, were the first foreign journalists to be fully embedded with the army.

Media coverage of the operation was virtually impossible as journalists were banned from reporting from the area except for "day trips" which the army set up couple of weeks into the operation.

As we had made a programme earlier in the year about the army action in Swat which had pleased the generals, we managed to get embedded after all the "clearances".

In the second week of November, we were flown from Peshawar to the army base in Jandola in South Waziristan, the starting point of the army operation entitled "road to salvation".


"Battle of the beards"
Along with a cameraman/director and an assistant, we shared a room in the officers' mess in Jandola base with at least six army officers (two of them colonels and two majors), making nine of us sleeping on a combination of two beds and mattresses and sharing one bathroom.

Entrances to all the rooms were blocked with piles of sandbags as the base had been struck with over 50 rockets fired by the Taliban only a couple of weeks earlier.

We discussed the army action and other political issues well into the night. It felt like a camping trip but the sound of distant artillery was a reminder that this was no picnic.

One of the colonels was head of logistics responsible for all troop movements. From his laptop and satellite phone, he controlled the progress of any army convoy or vehicle moving in any direction in the area.



All the officers who shared the room with us sported a beard and were devout Muslims. One colonel jokingly called the operation "the battle of the beards" as it was a fight about what constitutes a good Muslim as the Taliban always claimed the religious moral ground and claimed the longer the beard and the shorter the moustache made the better the Muslim.

Foreign intervention
Army officers of various ranks came and went, and discussions with them, as well as others with pilots and other soldiers over the next few weeks, revealed their mindset.

Nearly every officer who discussed the situation was convinced there was foreign involvement helping or at least in arming the Taliban. They were astonished at the amount of weaponry that had been seized from the Taliban some of which had Indian marking, proof enough that India was providing the Pakistan Taliban with logistical support.

When I tried to point to the contradictions in that claim, I was thought to be naive and not understanding the complexity of the politics of the subcontinent.

Most of them are also convinced that America was complicit with India in helping the Taliban.

When I expressed exasperation at that claim, they argued back that American intentions are to create a civil war-like situation in Pakistan so that the US can send in their troops and take out Pakistan’s nuclear assets.

This distrust of American intentions is widespread in political and even government circles in Pakistan. Despite huge American aid and close traditional ties with the US over decades, Pakistanis in general have a serious distrust of American intentions and this propaganda victory of the Islamists in Pakistan is their greatest success.

Even a government minister told me over a private dinner that he believes the Americans are involved in helping the Taliban in Pakistan, and pointed out to the removal of Nato posts from the border when Pakistan launched its action in South Waziristan.

Elusive enemy

From Jandola, a local commander, Brigadier Shafique, took us by helicopter to a high ridge called Kund which had been taken from the Taliban a day earlier. The shrubs on the hill were still smouldering and there was a feeling among the soldiers on board with us that our helicopter might have been fired upon before landing.

From Kund ridge we were able to hear the sound of helicopters' gunships and artillery exchange in the distance, and there couldn’t be many sites in the world more inhospitable than this.

Having learned from its previous incursions into Waziristan which had ended in humiliating defeats, the army adopted a different strategy.

This time their plan was to take the high ridges first by mounting aerial attacks with F16 jets on Taliban anti-rocket and anti-helicopter gun batteries. Once these were taken out, helicopter gunships could provide cover for the troops on the ground to take the main ridges and high ground.

A couple of days later a heavily armed convoy took us to the town of Kotkai, a couple of hours' drive through the heartland of the Taliban leaders, Hakeemullah Mehsud and Qari Hussain, the mastermind of suicide bombers.

The entire village had been raised to rubble and we were shown the network of tunnels and caves through which the Taliban made their escape to avoid capture. Despite our requests to see bodies or evidence of Taliban fighters taken as prisoners, the army was not able to show one body or prisoner and has not done so to date to any other journalist or media.

When we accompanied the army to the northern front where no other journalist had been taken, from Razmak near North Waziristan to the town of Makin, there was the same devastation: buildings reduced to rubble and other evidence of heavy artillery bombardment. Again there were no prisoners.

However, we were taken to the destroyed house of Baitullah Mehsud and a compound nearby where suicide bombers were trained. Here the walls had been painted with pictures depicting their view of heaven awaiting the would be martyrs, with maidens frolicking in rivers of milk as promised in the Quran and slogans written in the blood of Taliban prisoners paying homage to their suicide bombers as well as insults to Pakistani leaders.

In just under eight weeks the Pakistani army has blown the myth of Taliban invincibility and has taken control of the main towns and roads of South Wazirsitan.

Meanwhile the Taliban forces have strategically melted away without offering too much resistance into North Waziristan and other tribal areas.

Over the winter and spring I would guess that the Taliban intend to launch a counter insurgency which will last a lot longer and with a lot more pain not just for the army but the whole of Pakistan.

We are not approaching the end of the operation; this is just the start.
 
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Sir, the above your views or somebody else ?? little bit confusion.

And as for the image of US among the Army officers, it is true, i have not found a single officer who will not use an abusive language against the US and its forces in Afghanistan once such topics gets discussed. Even one of the senior most officers of SSG currently in SSG also had such tails to tell and he was so blunt abusive towards US that i have not seen such anger from such a high ranking officer.
 

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