Pakistan targets al Qaeda hide-out

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By Raza Khan THE WASHINGTON TIMES

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan | Pakistani forces have turned their guns on the main al Qaeda hide-out, a tiny village known as Jani Khel at the fork of two rivers that lie just east of the point where the tribal areas of North and South Waziristan meet, locals say.

The village and surrounding countryside lie on an elevated plateau that rises into the snow-capped peaks of the two Waziristans and is known as the gateway to territory controlled by four main Taliban factions, including the one led by Baitullah Mehsud.

The Pakistani military is close to winding up an offensive against the Taliban in the picturesque Swat Valley and nearby districts. The push was initiated in response to an alarming advance by the Islamist militants close to the capital, Islamabad, in April, and the military has been preparing for an operation targeting Mr. Mehsud's stronghold farther south in Waziristan.

Maj. Gen. Sajjad Ghani, the commander of some 20,000 troops in the northern part of Swat, told the Associated Press that some of the final strongholds in Swat were being cleared and that "high-intensity" operations would end in a week to 10 days.

The Pakistani government announced a week ago that it will next go after Mr. Mehsud in South Waziristan, and ground troops have been moving into position in the region. Although the operation has not formally started, the military already has carried out several air strikes in the region, hitting former Islamic seminaries and training facilities.

The AP, citing intelligence and army officials, said there was heavy fighting Saturday in the villages of Barwand and Madijan, and about 50 militants were killed.

What could make Jani Khel the main focus of the military offensive in Waziristan is that it is also a base for al Qaeda in Pakistan, a collection of several hundred Arabs and fighters of other nationalities who are fiercely loyal to Osama bin Laden.

Pakistani military officials have said that up to 200 militants in Jani Khel have been killed in the past few weeks.

Pakistan military spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said Jani Khel has been "the staging area" for militants operating in the region.

A June 15 press release issued by Pakistan's military Inter-Services Public Relations said security forces have consolidated positions at Jani Khel Fort and Sara Bangla.