Azhar Masood is a writer for Arab News.
ISLAMABAD, Oct. 3 — The Chief Spokesman for Pakistan Army Major General Atthar Abbas announced here Saturday that security forces have tightened the noose around the strongholds of the Pakistan Taliban.
South Waziristan has remained a hotbed of suicide bombers, trained and launched by the slain Baitullah Mehsud and his main executioner Qari Hussain.
Gen. Atthar gave no time frame about unfolding a larger scale military operation, but said, “So far, the Pakistan Air Force and medium artillery have been used to soften targets, block movements of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) militants and choke their reinforcement and supply routes.”
General Atthar Abbas, perhaps as a matter of military necessity, gave no details as to how this operation or battle would be launched.
Dera Ismail Khan based journalist Saeedullah Khan Marwat told Arab News, “Authorities have closed Tank-Jandola –Chagmalai Road, Tank-Wana Road,Wana-Makeen and Makeen-Razmak Road.”
Defence expert and former Chief of Staff to Gen.Pervez Musharraf, Lt. Gen. Hamid Javaid told Arab News, “The Army will take measures which will minimise casualties. No Army has ever won a traditional war in Waziristan. Therefore the approach will have to be totally innovative, relying heavily on exploiting the weaknesses of the terrorists while ensuring that terrorists are denied the advantages that they enjoy in the rugged and treacherous terrain of Waziristan.”