ISLAMABAD, 12 September 2004 — Rockets were fired at security checkpoints and sporadic fire continued overnight in Pakistan’s South Waziristan region, while tribal parliamentarians yesterday challenged government claims that some 50 militants, including foreigners, were killed in a military strike on a terrorist training camp in the area.
Days of clashes between security forces and suspected terrorists killed at least 60 people dead including government troops, witnesses and officials said yesterday.
Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan confirmed the rocket attack and “sporadic incidents” of firing but said there were no casualties.
Local residents said unidentified men targeted military scout camps in Sarokai area near the regional headquarters of Wana in the overnight rocket attack.
Pakistani forces Thursday destroyed an alleged terrorists camp run by Chechens, Uzbeks and Arab militants who, the officials claimed, were training men for terrorism across the country.
About 50 mostly foreign militants were killed in air raids on the training facility that followed another military operation later that night, killing 10 suspected terrorists and casualties on the government side. Sultan admitted “few casualties” but did not give the number.
According to a local newspaper, 13 people including seven army personnel were killed in the skirmishes that followed the attack.
Sultan said security forces also captured five foreigners trying to flee the area. He did not reveal their identities or nationalities, saying the men were still being interrogated.
Sultan claimed that he had a video showing foreign militants being trained at the facility before the airstrike. “We will show this video at an appropriate time,” he said.
But two tribal MPs challenged the government’s claims.
“They were all innocent tribesmen and they had nothing to do with terrorism,” Maulana Mirajuddin told reporters at the Islamabad Press Club.
He challenged the government to allow journalists, independent observers and parliamentarians to visit the area to find out the facts.
Mirajuddin and fellow MP Maulana Abdul Malik described the military operation as “a declaration of war against the tribe.”
Opposition parties condemned the latest operations in South Waziristan when the National Assembly began its new session on Friday evening. They staged a boycott after the speaker cut short discussion on the Wana operation.
The members of the five-party religious alliance of Muttaheda Majlis-e-Amal demanded an end to the Wana operation.
Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, however, reiterated the government’s resolve to battle terrorism until it ended. “Wherever there are terrorists, we will act to save Pakistan and maintain peace.”
The border region of South Waziristan has remained a source of tension for the security forces where attacks by suspected Al-Qaeda fugitives and local militants continue unabated despite claims by the government to have destroyed major terrorists hideouts.
North and South Waziristan are considered a possible hideout for Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman Al-Zawahri, although there has been no hard evidence of their whereabouts.
Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said Friday it was interesting that Al-Zawahri has been more vocal than his boss in recent years, and speculated that the Al-Qaeda leader might be dead.
“There is some evidence that Ayman Al-Zawahri and (Taleban leader) Mullah Omar are alive but it isn’t clear if Osama is alive or dead,” Ahmed told reporters in the southern port city of Karachi. He added that he based the assessment on an analysis, not any hard intelligence.
— With input from agencies
