Pakistan offensive against Taliban-al Qaeda begins

BBC:

Fierce fighting has broken out as the Pakistan army battles Taliban militants in their remote strongholds in the South Waziristan province.

Local officials said 30,000 troops, backed by artillery, had moved into the region where Pakistan Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud is based.

Officials said the Taliban were resisting as troops mobilised from the north, east, and west.

A curfew was imposed in the region before the offensive began.

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Troops were moving from Razmak, between North and South Wazirstan; from Jandola in the east; and from Shakai in the west.

They were reported to be moving towards Makeen, Spinkai Raghzai and Tiarza.

The ground operation comes after weeks of air and artillery strikes against militant targets in the region, which lies close to the Afghan border.

Thousands of civilians have fled South Waziristan in anticipation of the offensive.

Transport has been difficult as roads have been blocked by the military.

There is a huge army presence on the road between Tank and Dera Ismail Khan, says the BBC's Islamabad correspondent Shoaib Hasan, near South Waziristan.

On his way to South Waziristan, he passed several army convoys on the road.

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Recent militant attacks were seen as an attempt to divide public opinion, but they appear to have strengthened the resolve of the government, which says the Taliban must now be eliminated, our correspondent added.

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This BBC graphic gives the location of the villages mentioned as the jumping off points. The size of the Pakistan army force should be adequate for taking control of the area. This is a first. In the past they have used smaller forces that were not up to the task.

This offensive should have a positive effect on both sides of the border with Afghanistan. It is going to sap resources that the Taliban need to sustain their operations in Afghanistan and make it more difficult for the Taliban to attack in Pakistan too. It could be a significant game changer.

It is too bad that Obama has not put more troops in place in Afghanistan to further pressure the enemy. A coordinated offensive would make it really difficult for the Taliban to survive.