Pakistan strikes militant hideouts in Waziristan

Miranshah (Pakistan), Aug 7: Pakistani security forces, backed by helicopter gunships, launched an attack on hideouts being used by pro-Taliban militants in North Waziristan today, an army official said.

Witnesses in the Degan area some 25 kilometres (17 miles) west of Miranshah, the main town in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan, said the helicopters destroyed three houses. They also said the army was using mortars and artillery.

''The operation was launched at around 5:00 am, as we had information that militants were hiding there,'' the army official said, requesting anonymity.

He said fighting was continuing some five hours after the operation began, but there was no information on casualties.

A Reuters reporter in Miranshah had earlier seen eight helicopter gunships heading in the direction of Degan.

North Waziristan is regarded as a hotbed of support for the Taliban and al Qaeda, and an army offensive has been anticipated since militants late last month abandoned a peace pact with the government struck last September.

US officials have said they expect Pakistan to strike at select targets in a region where they say al Qaeda has regouped, and is carrying out planning for operations elsewhere in the world.

There have been several clashes between Pakistani troops and militants over the past few weeks as the army has gone on the front foot, reinforcing checkposts and carrying out more patrols.

Militants have struck back with a series of attacks, sometimes using suicide bombers, in Waziristan and elsewhere in North West Frontier Province.

There were also two suicide attacks last month in the capital Islamabad, where security has been stepped up in the aftermath of an army siege and assault on Red Mosque, or Lal Masjid, to stamp out a Taliban-style movement.

Well over 200 people have been killed in bomb attacks and clashes between militants and security forces, since trouble broke out at Red Mosque in early July, while at least 102 people were killed in the fighting at the mosque itself.

Reuters>