Скачать или смотреть Aftermath of government forces crackdown on militants in tribal area

(5 Mar 2006)

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1. Pan of valley with sound of gunfire
2. Smoke rising over village
3. Plume of smoke rising from bombed house
4. Pakistani Army helicopters flying over village
5. Wide of villagers leaving
6. Various of remains of missiles in damaged buildings
7. Damage to wall of mosque with writing on wall
8. Crater caused by missile
9. Damaged buildings
10. SOUNDBITE: (Pashtun) Vox pop, local resident whose shop was damaged in attack:
"They wanted to please President Bush and that's why they attacked this market. They wanted more people to die so they also attacked other places."
11. Graves of people killed in the fighting

STORYLINE:

Pakistan's army retaliated with helicopter gunships and artillery after pro-Taliban tribesmen clashed with security forces near the Afghan border on Saturday.

At least 46 militants and three soldiers were killed, the army spokesman said.

Intercepts of radio communications between militants involved in the fighting in the towns of Miran Shah and Mir Ali in North Waziristan tribal region suggested 80 or more fighters had died, security and intelligence officials said.

Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, the army spokesman, said 25 militants were killed in Miran Shah and 21 in Mir Ali, but added that the toll could be higher than that. Three security forces also died and about 10 were injured.

The fighting took place about 300 kilometres (190 miles) southwest of Islamabad, where President George W. Bush on Saturday made a 24-hour visit and declared his solidarity with Pakistan in the war on terror.

Anger has been stirring among the tribesmen since Pakistan's army attacked a suspected al-Qaida camp earlier this week.

The footage shot last Wednesday shows scenes during and immediately after an attack on the Saidgi village near the Afghan border, about 15 kilometres (10 miles) from Miran Shah in North Waziristan in the North-west Frontier province.

Pakistani military sources claimed that 45 people including foreign militants were killed in the attack on what they believe was a militant training camp.

Resident tribesmen claim that ordinary villagers were killed.

On Saturday fighting was again raging in the area as the Pakistani army was apparently retaliating against ambushes by militants on military vehicles.

Maulvi Abdul Khaliq, a local cleric leading the rebellious tribesmen, demanded that authorities stop killing "innocent" people and only carry out operations against militants in coordination with locals.

He urged local elders and lawmakers not to visit the office of the region's top administrator as a protest against the Saidgi operation.

The boycott was announced from loudspeakers mounted on pickup trucks and mosques in Miran Shah.

Bazaars and government offices closed after the announcement, and 500 families left the town, fearing a showdown between security forces and the armed tribesmen, who are mainly students from Islamic schools, according to a local intelligence official, who declined to be named because he is not authorised to comment to the media.

The students are often referred to as "local Taliban" - reflecting their sympathies with the hardline Islamic militia in Afghanistan.

On Thursday, more than 200 of the so-called "local Taliban" occupied government buildings housing the telecommunication and irrigation departments in Miran Shah but later withdrew after local elders mediated.


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