Taliban dig in as Pakistani army advances

[unhappycamper]

Taliban dig in as Pakistani army advances
By Ishtiaq Mahsud - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Oct 23, 2009 5:54:47 EDT

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — Residents fleeing a nearly week-old Pakistani army offensive in a Taliban stronghold along the Afghan border have reported that the insurgents are digging in for a fight and travel the roads freely.

~snip~

The accounts by a dozen refugees to Associated Press reporters are a sign of just how much fighting remains before the military can even hope to clear the area, which in recent years has become a major hub for al-Qaida and other extremist groups who carry out attacks against U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

The militants were believed to control roughly 1,275 square miles (3,300 square kilometers) of territory before the offensive began. That portion covers about half of South Waziristan.

The military says its troops are progressing steadily and retaking land on three fronts. But officers have made it clear that the campaign will be long and bloody and acknowledged resistance is tough.

As the army presses into their heartland, the militants are trying to bring the war to the rest of Pakistan.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_pakistan_102209/

[excess_3]

1. whatever happened to Napalm? .nt