In one room a pair of old sneakers sat in a corner. An old pink comb and a broken digital watch sat in another. Captain Ali maintained that even Daisycutter bombs which penetrate earth were useless against this network of tunnels. The military had begun its offensive here back in August 2008 but Taliban fought hard to keep Damadola. Nearly 19 months of fierce fighting later, Damadola fell to the army in March.

The taking back of Damadola was an important achievement for Pakistani security forces who have been targets of much criticism from Washington. In recent years US military and intelligence officials have accused Pakistan of not doing enough against militants, even helping the Taliban to eventually ally in Afghanistan once US and international forces leave. Washington hasn’t criticized Pakistan much lately. Pakistan’s recent winning streak against the Taliban has a lot to do with it.
Pakistan Army’s local commanders reject the notion that socio-economic indicators were responsible for the ascendancy of Tehrik-e-Taliban in the region. The area looks like a typical Kashmir countryside, green fields, streams bounded by robust Hindu-Kush Mountains. “They are not aboriginal tribes. The road density here is 3.28 sq miles much better than other such regions in South Asia,” boasts Col. Mohammad Nauman Saeed, who leads Bajaur Scouts in anti-Taliban operations.

Pakistani Army in action in FATA

Then why this uprising, which devoured thousands of lives? A ready answer from Pakistan Army officers is the anti-Soviet operations launched by the West coupled with flow of money corrupted the age-old tribal governance system, which they believe was democratic and revolved around ‘self-responsibility’ and an elaborate moral code of Pakhtunwali. “When Soviets left and other too packed baggage, the region was left to the mercy of war lords and criminal gangs,” said the Colonel.

As Pakistani military officers point out that a faulty US strategy in Afghanistan pushed militants to take over Pakistan’s tribal area, they fail to reply why Islamabad was employing a similar strategy. “Military campaigns work under the hammer and anvil strategy. That means when you launch a military campaign you need to prevent the regrouping and escape of your enemy. The US-led NATO forces used hammer but ignored anvil,” said Nauman, who was flanked by Brigadier Zafrulhaq, commander of 27th Brigade of Frontier Corps. But, where have these militants now gone? They have crossed over to Kunar province of Afghanistan, which is now being touted as stronghold of Taliban.

Out of 36 provinces of Afghanistan, Taliban run a shadow administration is as many as 33 provinces. A US strategist Andrew Garfield also recently admitted that Taliban have established shadow government in many districts and are running welfare programs and providing incomes to unemployed young men. When this is combined with a coercive element and peer and community pressure, it is easy to see why the ranks of the Taliban are growing.

“That shows increasing influence of Taliban across and to be candid, our job is getting difficult. Whatever the West says about us, they still fail in putting anvil or block to our hammer. Despite our clearing the areas, we are still vulnerable,” maintains Col Nauman, who single handedly mounting on a tank entered the Taliban stronghold. His lieutenant Major Ejaz had taken refuge in a field for three days, with just a rifle till air attacks paved the way for reinforcements.

Col Nauman even goes to the extent saying either Pakistan Army be allowed to cross border to eliminate militants for the sake of permanent peace in the region or international community must decide and evaluate their operations in Afghanistan. In the middle of the Pakistani military offensive the US forces left the border naked, and did not intercept the fleeing militants. They repeated the act when Pakistani Army launched offensive in South Waziristan.

Such acts together with US army’s retreat from Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley has given rise to fears in Pakistan that Americans were walking away from a key military agreement.

According to figures provided by Government of Pakistan, 1,600 militants were killed and more than 2,000 injured while some 150 civilians also died and about 2,000 were injured in the fighting. The military operation forced more than 300,000 people to flee their homes and take shelter in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in more secure districts of the province. There are three main tribes in Bajaur: Uthman Khel, Tarklanri and Mamunds. Its border with Afghanistan’s Kunar province makes it of strategic importance to Pakistan and the-

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