Pak to launch military operation in Waziristan

Peshawar, Oct 2: Pakistan's military is set to launch a ground operation in the Taliban's main stronghold in Pakistan's tribal areas, South Waziristan.

For three months, the Pakistan Army has been charting out plans, holding indepth deliberations and studying past operations that failed miserably, the New York Times reports.

The paper quoted a military official as saying that they are expecting stiff resistance in Waziristan, which has also become a key base for Al Qaeda.

"This is where we will be fighting the toughest of all battles. If we don't take the battle to them, they will bring the battle to us," the official said.

In the past, two failed military operations led the Pakistan government to sign a series of peace deals with the Taliban. But these deals only helped militants to regroup and tighten their hold on the region.

Since Jun, 2009 thousands of Pak soldiers have been sitting on the fringes of the area, waiting for orders from the military high command to move in.

"As far as we are concerned, the operation should have been launched three months ago. Baitullah is dead and his group seems to be in some form of disarray. And this provides the best opportunity to go after them," the paper quoted a senior government official, as saying.

ANI