Taliban declare guerrilla war against Pakistan army

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (AFP) – The Taliban have hit back at Pakistan claims of success in a major offensive, vowing on Wednesday that their guerrilla war would expel troops from their stronghold near the Afghan border.

"We have not been defeated. We have voluntarily withdrawn into the mountains under a strategy that will trap the Pakistan army in the area," Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq told journalists taken by blindfold to a mountain top.

Pakistan's main umbrella Taliban faction, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) arranged a news conference for journalists from the tribal belt a day after the military flew correspondents into South Waziristan to visit the battlefield.

The army told reporters that troops waging a major ground and air offensive for five weeks had captured most towns once under rebel control in South Waziristan, part of Pakistan's militant-infested tribal belt.

An AFP reporter, who was among those taken to the undefined mountain top, said Tariq sat on the open ground, without a rug or chairs.

Bearded Tariq, who is spokesman for TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud, was flanked by two armed bodyguards. This was his first direct interaction with journalists since the military mounted a major offensive on October 17.

Journalists from North Waziristan were driven to the border of neighbouring South Waziristan in broad daylight where they were blindfolded and transferred into waiting vehicles, said the AFP reporter.

They were then taken several kilometres into the rugged terrain where some 30,000 Pakistan troops backed by fighter aircraft and attack helicopters were engaged in their heaviest to date anti-Taliban offensive.

Gunfire could be heard from the mountains while one military helicopter was also seen flying in the area.

"Look -- the firing is in Nawazkot of Makin town. But this is a futile exercise, the army will never succeed in seizing control of the area," Tariq said pointing to the helicopter.

"The army claims they have captured most of the towns. This is wrong, in fact we have vacated old forts which we captured from them in previous clashes. The troops are trapped there and we will retake the area," he added.