Battle with militants comes full circle

By Zaffar Abbas
BBC, Islamabad

Pakistani troops have so far failed to put down Waziri tribes

The latest military operation against suspected al-Qaeda militants and renegade tribesmen in South Waziristan is also the fiercest in recent months.

And it is the first clear proof that after several rounds of clashes and peace talks, the situation in the troubled tribal region has come full circle.

With more than 60 people, including 15 troops, already dead in three days of clashes, all hopes of a peaceful resolution of the conflict seem to have been dashed.

And with the security forces using jets, helicopter gunships and heavy artillery to pound the militants' hideouts, and the suspected Islamic extremists responding with rockets and mortars, the mountainous region outside the town of Wana is likely to look like a "war zone" for many weeks, if not months.

Support for Taleban

South Waziristan is fast proving to be Achilles' heel for the Pakistani security establishment.

Faced with growing pressure from the United States, Islamabad has tried every possible way to address the issue.

It managed to tame most parts of the semi-autonomous tribal region by using the so-called carrot-and-stick policy, but still failed to persuade the rugged tribesmen of South Waziristan to give up their support for the Taleban and other Islamic militants like Uzbeks, Chechens and Arabs living in the area.

Earlier this year the Pakistani security forces blundered by launching a military operation against the Waziri tribesmen for whom taking part in guerrilla warfare is a way of life.

Those who mostly defied the military were Ahmedzai Wazir tribesmen, led by 27-year-old Nek Mohammed.

Peace talks

The first military offensive resulted in heavy casualties on the two sides, with the security forces losing more men than in any other operation at home.

For the Pakistani establishment South Waziristan is certainly proving to be more difficult to handle than was initially anticipated.

It soon compelled the authorities to agree to the mediation offered by some tribal leaders.

As a result the military's corps commander for the north-western region, Lt Gen Safdar Hussain, met Nek Mohammed and others at a tribal jirga or assembly.

A peace deal was struck, raising hopes for a negotiated settlement.

Nek Mohammed was once again declared a "patriot", only to be termed a "petty criminal" a few weeks later.

Differences on the interpretation of the peace agreement surfaced within no time.

The government said all the foreign nationals living in the area were required to register with the authorities.

The foreign militants refused to do so, and were backed by the rebel tribesmen. Soon the peace agreement was history.

All out war

The latest offensive was preceded by a bloody rocket attack on a number of military check posts in the area, in which nine paramilitary troops were killed.

The military decided to declare an all-out war against the Islamic militants.

But although a number of militants' hideouts in the mountains were destroyed during the latest offensive, so far the operation has failed to produce the desired results.

For the Pakistani establishment South Waziristan is certainly proving to be more difficult to handle than was initially anticipated.

In fact, it is becoming more dangerous. Observers say that if it is true that the recent armed attack on a military commander in Karachi was in retaliation for the events in Waziristan, the situation is becoming even more alarming.

It shows that local militant groups sympathetic to Waziri tribesmen are prepared to take their war to mainland Pakistan, in particular cities like Karachi.

But with American troops constantly watching from across the border in Afghanistan, it will not be easy for Pakistani security forces to give up their anti-militant drive so easily.

Yet, they know there are no easy ways to solve the problem.

The Pakistani authorities are hoping is that with the latest offensive, most of the local and foreign militants will soon be eliminated - and without their troops suffering too heavily.