PAKISTAN: Pakistani families living near the Afghan border fled their homes yesterday, fearful of fresh clashes between Pakistani forces and suspected al-Qaeda militants being sheltered by local tribesmen.
At least 16 soldiers and 24 rebels were killed in fierce fighting on Tuesday involving assault rifles, machine-guns, light artillery and rockets, in the latest operation in Pakistan's lawless tribal belt to flush out al-Qaeda militants.
Hundreds, including many women and children, were driven away on tractors and trucks from Kaloosha, near the scene of the heaviest clashes, to the nearby town of Wana 15 kilometres away. "We fear that our area will be bombed now," said Mr Ali Shah Khan, who was fleeing with his family.
Blackened wrecks of military vehicles littered the roads and some were still burning. A charred body was in one of the vehicles in Watchadana, 12 kilometres from Wana.
Residents said there was no fresh fighting yesterday. The latest operation by Pakistani troops to hunt down suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban guerrillas came on the eve of a visit to Pakistan by the US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell.
Addressing a news conference in Afghanistan before his arrival in Pakistan, Mr Powell said yesterday that the operation was a sign Islamabad was intensifying its crackdown on militancy.
"The action in Pakistan yesterday suggests that Pakistanis have picked up the pace and we hope they continue to do that," Mr Powell said. "It shows the intention on the part of Pakistan not to allow these tribal areas to be used as a haven."
Twenty-two troops were wounded and 18 Pakistanis were arrested at the scene of Tuesday's clashes. A Pakistani official said some of the rebels killed appeared to be foreign.
"Their features are not local. They appear to be Chechens or Central Asians," said Mr Mohammad Azam Khan, a local government official in the tribal region.
Up to 600 foreign militants are believed to be hiding in the wild tribal belt near the Afghan border, where they are sheltered by Pakistani tribesmen. Kabul says members of the ousted Taliban regime use Pakistan as a base to launch attacks in Afghanistan.
Local people say foreign militants who fought the Soviets in neighbouring Afghanistan during the 1980s were hailed by Pakistani authorities as heroes of Islam.
There was bewilderment and resistance among tribesmen after Islamabad, a key ally in the US-led war on terror, suddenly started calling the foreign militants "terrorists". Witnesses said militants were aided by tribesmen during Tuesday's clashes.
Security officials said 12 troops were missing and there were fears they had been kidnapped.
The operation coincides with a new offensive by 13,500 US-led troops in neighbouring Afghanistan to track down militants on the Afghan side of the frontier, including the world's most wanted man Osama bin Laden. - (Reuters)