The military launched its long-awaited Operation Rah-e-Nijat (Path of Salvation) late on Friday night, combating the Hakeemullah Mehsud-led Pakistani Taliban in South Waziristan on three different fronts to neutralise the "centre of gravity of terrorism" in Pakistan, a military spokesman and several senior officials said.The ground offensive comes hours after the country's military and political leaders agreed to stage the final assault on the "headquarters of terrorism" following a wave of terror attacks throughout the country in the past two weeks.
"The ground offensive has started," military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told Daily Times. "The headquarters of the defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) will be surgically targeted to dismantle the network of the terror outfit," the APP news agency quoted him as stating on a radio programme. He said intelligence reports had revealed around 80% of the terror attacks in the country originated from South Waziristan, adding about 1,500 foreign terrorists were believed to be hiding in the area in addition to the locals.
Curfew: The government imposed a curfew in the region late on Friday, shutting down all link roads to and from Waziristan and jamming the mobile and telecommunication systems in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts. Official sources said the military was converging on Taliban strongholds from three directions -- Jandola in the east, Shakai in the west and Razmak in the north. They said initial reports had revealed the Taliban were putting up a "stiff resistance" to the army's advances.
Completion prediction: The ground offensive will be supported with airstrikes, tanks and long-range artillery at Shakai, Jandola and Razmak bases. Military experts said the terrorists would likely adopt guerrilla tactics and stage ambushes with the help of improvised explosive devices. The military sources said the offensive would be swift and could be completed within eight weeks.
Deceased: A private TV channel reported that 30 Taliban had been killed in airstrikes targeting the Kotkai, Makeen and Ladah regions. They said four soldiers had also been martyred and 12 wounded on the first day of the offensives. However, the army statement did not provide any details of the militant casualties.
Safe zones: Meanwhile, the local population of the conflict-stricken areas has moved to safer places, with the UN predicting around 250,000 people fled their homes in anticipation of the operation. Authorities have set up registration camps for these internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Tank and Dera Ismail Khan. Sources in the FATA Secretariat said 12,800 families had already been registered in DI Khan and Tank, adding preparations were underway to accommodate more in the relief camps.
They said the IDP families who had registered would receive Rs 5000/month in addition to daily essentials such as utensils, mattresses, pillows and tents. The secretariat has been tasked to safely evacuate the civilian population with the help of the political agent, they added.