March 19, 2004

Pakistan Army Rains Fire on Encircled Militants

Pakistani forces rained fire on Saturday on encircled foreign militants and Pakistani tribal allies thought to be sheltering Osama bin Laden's deputy near the Afghan border, a resident of the area said.

The 300 to 400 fighters holding out in well-fortified compounds in Pakistan's wild South Warizistan tribal area were pounded with shells and mortar bombs for most of the night, extending a battle that has raged on and off since Tuesday.

"There was no pause in the firing," said a resident of the town of Wana, just to the east of the battle. "Our houses were shaking."

Bursts of small-arms fire erupted at around dawn, indicating stiff resistance from the militants.
[Al-Reuters never disappoints!--Jen]

A security official said late on Friday the militants had been surrounded in a valley not far from the border and had no way of replenishing their ammunition. He said Friday night's battle could be decisive.

Pakistani forces say they have surrounded the fighters and a "high-value target," possibly Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, is believed among them. But no officials have confirmed he is there.

Zawahri, an Egyptian doctor, is regarded as the brains of al Qaeda. He is thought to be one of the key figures behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
[...]
The battle, involving several thousand Pakistani soldiers, is the biggest Pakistan has fought since it joined the U.S.-led war on terror after the September 11 attacks.

While Pakistan goes after foreign militants on its side of the border, U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan have launched a spring offensive against the Taliban and their al Qaeda allies in what the Pentagon is calling a "hammer and anvil" operation.
[...]
The FBI lists Zawahri among its "Most Wanted Terrorists" with a bounty of $25 million on his head. He has been indicted in the United States for his alleged role in the August 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Here's a heads up to US forces to put on the teakettle: the British are coming...the SAS, that is!
SAS joins hunt for Osama
Good hunting and shooting, fellas!
Sounds like the "militants" are protecting someone or something big and are in the firefight of the lives...
Nice one.
We've got the "militant" Enemy right where we want them--under our guns!
(And now that President Bush has proclaimed that Pakistan is officially a key U.S. non-NATO Ally, we can say "our guns" when we talk about those of Pakistani soldiers, too. The President did that just in time; in fact, he made the proclamation about Pakistan the same day this firefight started. Looks like Pakistan will have truly earned the honor!)
Update: The WashedUp Post is reporting that many of the 150-400 "guerrillas" under siege are Chechens.
Very interesting... This makes me ask 3 questions:
1.) How'd they get to Pakistan all the way from Chechnya?
2.) Is the Left sure that Al Queda isn't connected to other terror groups like the Chechens in the face of proof like this?
3.) And if the Chechens are now fighting with and for Al Queda and the Taliban's remnants, does this mean that Vladimir Putin's made it too hard for them to fight in Chechnya?