Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

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Waziristan Conflict
Part of the War on Terrorism
File:R1170292410 web.jpg
Pakistani paramilitary soldiers guard a mountain pass in Waziristan.
DateMarch 2004 – September 2006
Location
Waziristan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan
Result Waziristan tribesmen remain in power
Peace agreement ends conflict.
Belligerents

Pakistan

(USA indirect)
Waziristan tribesmen,
Al-Qaeda members,

Taliban forces
Commanders and leaders
Commander XII Corps Ayman al-Zawahiri (probable),
Haji Omar
Strength
80,000[1] 8000-20,000?[citation needed]
Casualties and losses
950 Pakistan Military and Paramilitary[2] 3000 killed[2]

The Waziristan conflict (2004–2006) was an armed conflict that began in 2004 when tensions rooted in the Pakistani Army's search for al-Qaeda members in Pakistan's mountainous Waziristan area (the Federally Administered Tribal Areas) escalated into armed resistance by local tribesmen. Clashes erupted between the Pakistani troops - who were frequently assisted by US precision strikes - and Al-Qaeda militants joined by local rebels and pro-Taliban forces. The struggle was seen as a part of the War on Terrorism, and had connections to the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan[1][2].

On September 5 2006, it was announced that the Pakistan government and pro-Taliban tribes signed a peace agreement in which the tribes agreed to expel foreign militants and cease cross-border attacks in exchange for a reduced presence of Pakistani troops.[3] If this peace treaty holds good, it marks the end of the Waziristan War.

Timeline

In July 2002, Pakistani troops entered the Tirah Valley in Khyber tribal agency for the first time since independence in 1947. They proceeded to move into the Shawal Valley of North Waziristan, and later South Waziristan. This was made possible after long negotiations with various tribes, who reluctantly agreed to allow the military's presence on the assurance that it would bring in funds and development work. However once the military action started in South Waziristan a number of Waziri sub-tribes viewed the action as an attempt to subjugate them. As attempts to persuade them to hand over the foreign militants failed, and missteps by the authorities increased feelings of ill-will, the security campaign against suspected al-Qaeda militants turned into an undeclared war in 2004 between the Pakistani military and the rebel tribesmen.

In December 2003, two assasination attempts against President Pervez Musharraf were traced to Waziristan. The government responded by intensifying military pressure on the area, however the fighting was costly and government forces would sustain heavy casualties throughout 2004 and into early 2005 when the government switched to a tactic of negotiation instead of direct conflict.[3].

In March 2004, heavy fighting broke out at Azam Warsak, near the South Waziristan town of Wana. Pakistani troops faced an estimated 400 militants holed up in several fortified settlements. It was speculated at the time that bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri was among those trapped by the Pakistani Army, but he either escaped or was never among these fighters.

In 2005 the Islamabad government signed an agreement with South Warizistan, however as of 2006 it was not clear the truce had any substantial effect in reducing bloodshed.[4].

On January 13, 2006, the U.S. launched an airstrike on the village of Damadola. The attack occurred in the Bajaur tribal area, about 7 km (4.5 miles) from the Afghan border, and killed at least 18 people. The attack again targeted Ayman al-Zawahiri, but later evidence suggests he was not there. DNA analysis showed that at least five high-ranking Al Qaeda foreigners were killed, including Midhat Mirsi, a bomb building expert, for whom a $5 million award was offered.

On March 4, 2006, Pakistani forces started a massive assault on pro-Taliban elements in the region. Pakistani officials said 46 militants and five soldiers died after fighting erupted, although some reports put the death toll at over 70.

On June 21, 2006, pro-Taliban militants in the Bannu region of Northern Waziristan stated they shot down a military helicopter that was reported to have crashed. The government denied missile fire as the cause, stating it was due to technical faults. On the same day militants killed an inspector and two constables on a road connecting Bannu and the main town of Miranshah. The police officers were reportedly ambushed and killed while praying along side their vehicle[5].

On June 26, 2006, a suicide car bomber killed nine Pakistani soldiers. Officials say that the explosives-laden vehicle detonated about six kilometres (four miles) east of Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan region[6].

Haji Omar is the Amir (leader) of the militants[7].

On May 4, 2005, Pakistani commandos captured Abu Faraj al-Libbi after a raid outside the town of Mardan, 30 miles north of Peshwar. Abu Farraj al-Libbi was a high ranking al-Qaeda official, rumored to be third after Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. al-Libbi replaced Khalid Shaikh Mohammed after his arrest in March of 2003 in connection with the September 11th attacks. The Pakistani government arrested al-Libbi and held him on charges in relation to being a chief planner in two assassination attempts on the life of President Pervez Musharraf in December 2003.[4]

Truce

On September 5 2006, an agreement between tribal leaders and the Pakistani government was signed where both sides agreed to stop fighting each other. [8] The agreement includes the following provisions:[9]

  • The Pakistani Army is to abandon its garrisons in North and South Waziristan.
  • The Pakistani Military will not operate in North Waziristan, nor will it monitor actions in the region.
  • Pakistan will turn over weapons and other equipment seized during Pakistani Army operations.
  • The Taliban and al-Qaeda have set up a Mujahideen Shura (or council) to administer the agency.
  • The Pakistan government is to compensate tribal leaders for the loss of life and property of innocent tribesmen.
  • “Foreigners” (a euphemism for al-Qaeda and other foreign jihadis) are allowed to remain in the region.
  • A number of prisoners were to be released from Pakistani custody.

The agreement, dubbed the Waziristan accord, has been viewed by some political commentators as a defeat for Pakistan.[10] Further details of the agreement, as well as comments on the agreement made by US, Pakistani, and Taliban spokesmen is available in the Waziristan accord article.

Casualties

There has been no conclusive reports on the casualties of the war, though some authors, especially Pakistani writers, have estimated that the total casualties on both sides to be more than 1,000.[11] Some have speculated that the unofficial number of Pakistani soldiers killed in action to be somewhere around 3,000.[12] Another Pakistan writer states that the army's "Casualties were high, perhaps unsustainable, although we’ll never know the exact figures, the Pakistan army not given to embarrassing disclosures."[13]

Notes

  1. ^ Recent Developments in Waziristan -The Jamestown Foundation Volume 3, Issue 5 (March 11, 2005), In border zone, Pakistan backs off from Taliban, Guardian Unlimited
  2. ^ a b "Waziristan: The War is Over". Peace Reporter. 2006-09-08. Retrieved 2006-09-25.
  3. ^ Rohde, David (2006-09-10). "Al Qaeda Finds Its Center of Gravity". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-09-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Rohde, David (2006-09-10). "Al Queda Finds Its Center of Gravity". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-09-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "'Policemen killed' in Waziristan". BBC News. 2006-06-22. Retrieved 2006-08-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "'Suicide attack' on Pakistan army". BBC News. 2006-06-26. Retrieved 2006-08-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ Khan, Aamer Ahmed (2006-04-20). "Meeting Pakistan's Taleban chief". BBC News. Retrieved 2006-08-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Jpost
  9. ^ Dawn
  10. ^ Some See Pakistan's Truce As a Defeat - Fox news
  11. ^ Pacifying Waziristan by Muhammad Munir
  12. ^ The Fall of Waziristan: An Online History
  13. ^ War and peace, army style - September 15, 2006 Dawn (newspaper)

See also

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