Pakistan attacks al Qaeda bases

Bill Roggio:

As the security situation in North Waziristan and the greater Northwest Frontier Province, the Pakistani military launched an assault on two "militant" bases near the Afghan border. The military struck two Taliban and al Qaeda bases in the village of Daygan with artillery and Cobra gunship helicopters. "No ground forces were used in the assault," the Associated Press reported. The attack, which occurred 10 miles west of Miramshah, lasted four hours.

Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad, the chief spokesman for the Pakistani military, has said the attacks in North Waziristan are not linked to the Camp David talks between President George Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, where the situation in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province was a focal point. Since the release of the National Intelligence estimate this summer which stated the Northwest Frontier Province has become an al Qaeda haven, there have been conflicting statements on whether the U.S. would take unilateral action against al Qaeda inside Pakistani territory.

While there has been much talk of a pending Pakistani operation to fight the Taliban and al Qaeda in North Waziristan, an all out assault has yet to materialize. Pakistani military operations have been defensive in nature. The Taliban has repeatedly launched ambushes and mortar and rocket attacks against Pakistani troops that have deployed in the region, and Taliban casualties have occurred during counterattacks. Pakistan has lost 200 troops in the tribal areas since July 19. Today’s actions highlights the hesitance of the Pakistani military to engage in ground combat in North Waziristan, as the military relied on helicopters and artillery to destroy the camp.

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While these strikes are better than nothing and they do inconvenience the enemy they are transitory in nature and therefore permit him to regroup and dig in again. It will take an infantry assault to dislodge these groups. Air assaults need the effect of the ground operation to be successful.