Operation Zarb - e - Azb, the All Time Success

Tariq Rizwan

The recent announcement from DG ISPR on 20 May 2016 that our brave Army soldiers have cleared the last militant stronghold “Shawal Valley” in North Waziristan tribal region has provided a sigh of relief. It took three-months to clear the valley.  In February troops began the final phase of the Zarb – e - Arb mission in North Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan Birmal District, where militants had previously operated with impunity. The incharge of the operation, Brigadier Shabbir Narejo told reporters at a briefing, “We have cleared the Shawal valley, where militants put up stiff resistance. Troops, gunship helicopters, tanks and jets were used in the operation. There were up to 2,000 trained militants in the valley, but we surprised them by launching the operation in the peak of winter in minus 12 degrees Celsius (10.4 Fahrenheit). Six Army soldiers lost lives in the fighting whereas up to 120 militants were killed. Some militants had fled to Afghanistan, but that troops had set up around 15 posts on the border to intercept any movement in future”.

Operation Zarb - e - Azb was launched on 15 June 2014 in a bid to flush out nurseries and militant bases in Miranshah, Agency Head Quarter of North Waziristan and its suburbs. It began one week after the terrorist attack on Pakistan’s busiest airport. On 8 June 2014, 10 militants from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and TTP attacked Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, killing 28 people including security personnel and wounding at least 18.

The crackdown was intensified after the APS massacre in Peshawar, in which more than 150 people mostly children were murdered cold bloodedly in December 2014. It has been a very successful operation as the graph of terrorist activities in the country dropped to the lowest during last 6/7 years and militant network in the area has been destroyed.

Pakistan has been a victim of worst kind of terrorism after 9/11. The militants fled from US/ISAF bombing in Afghanistan crossed over to Pakistan Tribal Belt where they established their hideouts.  Pakistan suffered a lot being ally of America in the war and faced internal and external challenges. Prominent militant groups that emerged and fought Pakistan LEAs are Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Jundallah, Al-Qaeda, Haqqani Network , East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and sectarian outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

Earlier, the sitting regime announced peace negotiations with the Taliban groups operating in Pakistan. The negotiations were held through some religious scholars. The first session of talks between committees appointed by the Pakistani Government and the Taliban was held on 26 March 2014 at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad. The Taliban did not name representatives from their ranks, instead nominated pro-Taliban religious figures to present their views. The terrorists called for the implementation of Islamic Sharia in Pakistan; the Government of Pakistan demanded the cessation of hostilities, insisting that talks be held within the framework of the Pakistani constitution. A month-long ceasefire was reached on 1 March 2014. Anyhow, negotiations collapsed after the execution of 23 Pakistani Frontier Corps soldiers by the Taliban on 17 February 2014. The soldiers had been held by the insurgents since 2010, and on 17 April 2014 the TTP formally ended the ceasefire.

Army was in full preparation and launched a three pronged strategy, isolating targeted militant groups, obtaining support from the political parties and saving civilians from the backlash of the operation. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the nation stood by its military.

The combat troops encircled militant bases in the towns of Mirali and Miranshah. Pakistani officials said that the Afghan's National Security Forces (ANSF) was requested to seal the border on their side so that militants do not escape. Air Force, Navy artillery, tanks and ground troops remained engaged.

Zarb e Azb; being the largest military operation in the Waziristan area has found support from different entities from inside and outside of the country. The main purpose of this operation was to bring peace to the northern areas of the country. Zarb e Azb has got appreciation form leading journalists and analysts from Pakistan and it has also been supported by all the major political parties of the country. Only Jammat-e-Islami publically criticized the operation saying that there should be no operation in North Waziristan and all the matters should be resolved via peace talks with Taliban. Pakistan has also got international support from many different countries such as America and China.

The recent announcement of ISPR shows that after one and half year phenomenal successes have been achieved in the operation. Last pockets close to Pak - Afghan Border has been cleared. Eighteen months into Operation Zarb-e-Azb launched against militants, ISPR claimed 3,400 militants have been killed so far. “3,400 terrorists killed while 837 hideouts from where they were carrying out their terrorist acts, destroyed. About 837 hideouts from where they were carrying out their terrorists activities have been destroyed.

Apart, South Waziristan, once a stronghold of the TTP where the extremists operated with impunity has also been cleared in operation Rah-e-Nijat against Baitullah Mehsud group, launched in 2009. The towns are now welcoming thousands of displaced families back to their homes. From the helicopter, journalists could see scores of homes with no roofs but appearing otherwise intact, their interiors exposed to the elements, though it was unclear how many had been removed by the military and how many had been damaged by the weather and fighting. Traditionally roofs in South Waziristan are built of wood and iron sheets to hold off heavy winter snows, but from the helicopter hundreds could be seen with their wooden skeletons bared and interiors exposed.

Authorities have rebuilt roads, constructed health facilities, schools and restored the village water supply network system in the area. But the lack of shelter is still a serious issue. The Mehsud inhibited north of South Waziristan is mostly mountainous and building house is not an easy task. Government is providing up to 400,000 rupees ($4,000) to families for the rebuilding of their homes.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in London