'Foreign militants on the run in S Waziristan'

Mon Nov 2, 2009

The Pakistani military says hundreds of foreign militants have fled the South Waziristan tribal area as its troops have taken the war to the militants' strongholds.

Pakistani commanders told reporters on a visit to the normally closed conflict area on Sunday that between 600 and 800 foreign militants had been based in and around Kanigurram, a strategic town in South Waziristan.

Kanigurram has been a major "operational center" for foreign militants and a base for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Military sources said the foreigners were mostly Uzbeks but there were also some Chechens, Arabs, and militants of other nationalities.

However, senior Pakistani army officials claim that the militants' back has been broken by the heavy onslaught from jet fighters, helicopters, and artillery over the past few weeks.

"They are on the run," Brigadier Mohammad Ihsan said.

Nearly 30,000 Pakistani army soldiers have been deployed to fight against the militants based in the northwestern tribal area that borders Afghanistan.

Nearly 300 militants and more than 31 Pakistani soldiers have been killed since the operation was launched in the mountainous terrain on October 17.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/110210.html.