Pakistan Army Loses Another Ally
ISLAMABAD
– Fighting a hard-to-win battle against the well-armed, well-trained militants of Pakistan Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud in troubled Waziristan, the government has lost yet another powerful ally and arch rival of Mehsud who had earlier announced support to the military operation
The peace deal with the government is no more intact after perpetual US drone attacks and security forces’ violations of the agreement," Ahmedullah Ahmedi, a spokesman for Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a powerful commander in North Waziristan,
"The government is solely responsible for this. We have shown too much patience because we didn’t want to indulge in fight against our own forces, but continuous violations of the agreement have forces us to do that
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Bahadur and the security forces had singed a peace agreement two years back under which he pledged that his well-trained 3000 fighters would neither target security forces nor would it involve in any kind of terrorist activities within the country and in return security forces would leave the residential areas of North Waziristan
The security forces have been carrying out their activities against us in contravention of the peace agreement," said Ahmedi
Local sources confirmed that Wana, the capital of South Waziristan, witnessed massive clashes between fighters loyal to Mullah Nazir and the security forces on Monday, June 29
A senior army official confirmed that army chief General Ashfaq Kyani has issued orders for bombing the hideouts of Mehsud in South Waziristan
At least 27 militants and five civilians were reportedly killed in Monday's clashes and air strikes across the northwest tribal belt
It’s not the militants but rather the government which has shown too much patience," said the army official told IOL, wishing not to be named
But the killings of our soldiers have compelled us to take action," he said, referring to the killings of 27 soldiers in an ambush on Sunday, June 28, west off Miramshah, the capital of North Waziristan
"The militants have to pay the price for that"
Drones
Hafiz Gul Bahadur also criticized the government's deafening silence to US drone attacks
Until and unless, the US drone attacks are stopped, we will target the security forces convoys and centers," Ahmdi threatened
Mullah Nazir, a South Waziristan-based arch rival of Mehsud, has earlier this week scrapped a similar peace agreement with the government on the same pre****
Nazir, who represents the second largest Ahmedzai Wazir tribe of South Waziristan after Mehsuds, leads around 1000 trained militants known locally as Punjabi Taliban
The militants already knew that whatever they have done would ultimately result in operation against them. The US drone attacks are just an excuse," said the army official.
He admitted, however, that the drone attacks have made the task more difficult for the army
This is the business of civilian government how to convince the US administration about this issue. But for sure, it has made the task difficult for us as far as the support of locals is concerned," he said
Tribesmen are very angry on drone attacks as they have killed much more civilians than the terrorists. They want to help and support us, but the drone attacks are throwing them into the laps of Taliban
Security analysts believe the latest developments would spoil the government’s plans to corner Mehsud and force it to open another front in North Waziristan
The government is already embroiled in fierce fighting with local Taliban in Swat and South Waziristan
pakistan army loses another ally
