Pak troops encircle Taliban leader Mehsud's den

14 Jun 2009

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani troops have encircled Baitullah Mehsud-led militants in Waziristan and are advancing on their hideouts from three sides after clearing and securing the areas they capture.

To make the job easier for ground troops, Pakistani artillery and fighter jets pounded militants positions at different places in South Waziristan on Saturday, said military officials. Some militants are feared dead in the bombing at Makeen area. Makeen is the hometown of Baitullah Mehsud, chief of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and considered to be his stronghold.

The ground troops are making advances from three sides on Taliban positions - from Bannu in the north-east, Jandola gateway in south and Wana in south-west. Security forces, after completing their deployment at Bannu, Jandola and Wana started upward movement from these three areas towards Makin.

Confronted with a powerful military assault, Baitullah-led militants made two unsuccessful attempts to attack military forts, one at Siplatoy area two days ago and another at Lada area when some 400 Taliban attacked Jandola fort last week. At least 17 militants and three soldiers were killed when troops retaliated. After Taliban failure, Baitullah held a meeting with his militant commanders in Makeen area and decided to change their strategy, Alamgir Bhitanni, a veteran tribal journalist told TOI. In the past militants captured several government places without much resistance.

In a separate move the government also created rifts among the ranks of Taliban to isolate Baitullah Mehsud by influencing other militant leaders through fragile political administration and local tribal elders in the area. They have assured the government they would stay neutral during the operation against Baitullah Mehsud.

"Government used local influences to distance key Taliban leaders from Baitullah Mehsud", Bhitanni said. A key role in the entire dispensation was played by senator Saleh Shah and Maulana Mairajuddin, a former parliamentarian, he added.

In Waziristan the Taliban are broadly divided into four major factions. Baitullah Mehsud is the top Taliban commander in south Waziristan, Hafiz Gul Bahadur is the Taliban chief in North Waziristan and Maulvi Nazir, the chief of Taliban in Wana. Recently another Taliban commander Qari Zainuddin distanced himself from Baitullah Mehsud and claimed to be a chief of his own faction. On February 22, these factions of Taliban announced forming a 'Shura Ittehadul Mujahideen' (Council of United Mujahideen) to wage jihad 'in an organised manner'. They distributed pamphlets in the towns and villages of the agency saying that forces led by Mullah Muhammad Omar and Osama Bin Laden were fighting against 'infidels' led by US President Barack Obama, Pakistani President Asif Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.They quoted verses of the holy Quran calling people to fight a holy war against 'infidels', who they said were killing innocent Muslims.

Recently when Baitullah Mehsud intensified attacks in the country, another top militant commander Qari Zainuddin denounced Mehsud for staging attacks inside the country. In an interview with a foreign news agency, Qari Zainuddin urged tribal leaders to resist Mehsud and said that his more than 3,000 fighters would stay neutral if the army launched an operation in South Waziristan. "Whatever Baitullah Mehsud and his associates are doing in the name of Islam is not a jihad, and in fact it is rioting and terrorism," Zainuddin said.