Pakistan closes in on Taliban's Mehsud

Times:

Pakistan has launched the first ground attacks of a new offensive against Baitullah Mehsud, the Taleban leader, in his mountain stronghold of South Waziristan — also considered to be the possible hiding place of Osama bin Laden.

A local intelligence official told The Times that there was heavy fighting yesterday between government forces and Mr Mehsud’s men around the villages of Madijan and Tanai following several days of artillery raids and airstrikes.

The militants had taken up defensive positions on hilltops and the government troops were attacking them, backed by F16 fighter jets, the official said. All telecommunications and roads in the area had been blocked. “The troops have started advancing towards Baitullah Mehsud’s territory,” he said. He said that the troops were trying to pin down Mr Mehsud and his men before the army launched an all-out offensive, called Operation Rah-eNijat (Path to Salvation).

The army has been moving troops and artillery towards South Waziristan over the past week and has imposed an economic blockade to try to turn Mr Mehsud’s tribesmen against him and force non-combatants to leave the area.

Fighter jets hit two compounds yesterday, three religious schools and a suspected training camp in the villages of Sarwakai and Barwand, both inside Mr Mehsud’s territory.

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The terrain is difficult and favors the insurgents. By isolating the area the army hopes to cut Mehsud's ability to maneuver. They also hope to cut off his ability to attack in the rest of the country and this Friday may have been the first in some time that Mehsud has not successfully launched a human bomb attack.