ISLAMABAD: The final phase of Zarb-i-Azb operation in North Waziristan got under way on Thursday as troops launched a ground offensive in Shawal Valley, one of the last strongholds of militants in the region.

“We have moved into the last stage of the operation. The ground action in Shawal has commenced,” military spokesman Maj Gen Asim Bajwa told Dawn.

The Zarb-i-Azb operation began in June last year and the army says it has cleared most of North Waziristan. Shawal Valley and a pocket to its northwest are the remaining areas that need to be cleared.

The terrorists, except for those who have fled to Afghanistan, are said to be holed up in Shawal. One of the reasons the fleeing militants chose Shawal as their refuge was a perception that Shawal was inaccessible.

“The militants have been besieged there for weeks now,” the ISPR chief said.

53 militants, one soldier killed in North and South Waziristan clashes, air strikes

The area is considered to be a stronghold of Gul Bahadur, a warlord once considered to be pro-government, and an Al Qaeda sanctuary. Presence of Haqqani network militants was also reported from the valley when a US drone strike on June 6 killed nine Haqqani men there. Shawal has been the focus of US drone attacks this year.

Shawal Valley, which borders South Waziristan on one side and Afghanistan on the other, has the toughest terrain in the tribal agency, with treacherous mountains as well as forests.

It is said that the Shawal offensive could be the toughest part of the campaign.

“We are expecting opposition and are fully prepared for it,” Gen Bajwa said.

Week-long air strikes had preceded the start of the ground offensive in which dozens of militants were reportedly killed. The army had also claimed that air strikes had damaged terrorist infrastructure, including an ammunition dump, in Shawal.

The air strikes, the military spokesman said, were very effective.

Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, according to a tweet by Gen Bajwa, commended ideal air and ground force coordination for the operation.

No deadlines have been set for the completion of the Shawal phase. However, Gen Bajwa said the army chief had directed that the military objectives be achieved in the shortest possible time.

Defence analysts believe that the army would have to complete the operation before the winter sets in. Snowfall starts in the Valley in November.

The Zarb-i-Azb operation, which had been widely acclaimed for improving the security situation in the country, has recently come under criticism from Washington for not adequately targeting Haqqani network. The Obama administration has declined to certify that Zarb-i-Azb significantly downgraded Haqqani network.

Gen Bajwa rejected the American claim, saying all groups had been targeted without discrimination.

Pazir Gul and Sailab Mahsud add from Peshawar and Ladha: Fifty-three militants and a soldier were killed in clashes and airstrikes in South and North Waziristan on Thursday.

Military sources said that jet fighters pounded militant hideouts in Bora Mandi, Wacha Bibi, Ghar Lamai and Shawal Zoinarai of North Waziristan tribal agency at 8am, killing 43 militants and destroying several hideouts. They said the continued bombing by fighter planes for the past six days has destroyed the infrastructure of militants.

Reports coming from border areas suggest that a large-scale displacement of civilians is continuing from affected areas in North Waziristan.

In South Waziristan, security forces claimed to have killed 10 militants in clashes in Perghal area in Ladha sub-division.

Security officials confir­med that one soldier was kill­ed and two others were inj­ured during the fighting for control of a strategic location.

However, Mahsud Taliban spokesman Tariq Azam claimed that 20 security personnel were killed in the fighting. He said two of his fighters, Khaksar and Saifuddin, lost their lives.

Sources said that Mahsud Taliban attacked the strategic Perghal post, controlled by security forces. They said the fighting was continuing till late in night.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2015

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