Thaindian News

Wana (Pakistan), May 5 (IANS/AKI) A group loyal to a Taliban commander in Pakistan’s South Waziristan has launched an attack on an army camp in the northwestern Pakistani tribal area’s main town of Wana following the killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

The attack late Tuesday by fighters loyal to Nazir Ahmed marked the first termination by a Taliban leader of a ceasefire agreement with Pakistan’s Army since Osama’s killing by US special forces Monday.

“There is no information of any casualties, but the militants have made their point that they have terminated all ceasefire agreement with the army and they consider their presence in the tribal area as a hostile presence,” a local tribal elder told Adnkronos International (AKI) by telephone.

“The whole night, militants rained down missiles and rockets over the main military camp in Wana while the Pakistani army returned fire,” said the elder.

He was speaking to AKI on condition of anonymity because of a possible backlash by militants or the Pakistani administration in South Waziristan.

NATO forces have long view 36-year-old Ahmed’s group as the biggest threat in the provinces of Paktika, Helmand and Zabul, in neighbouring Afghanistan, where he runs the largest jihadist network.

Ahmed, the Taliban’s chief in Wana commands thousands of supporters but remained impartial in the 2009 military operation against Pakistani Taliban militants in South Waziristan.

Ahmed was considered as anti-Al-Qaeda and carried out the massacre of 250 members of the anti-Pakistan Army Islamic movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) in 2007 in South Waziristan and expelled hundreds of their members.

However, during a recent visit to South Waziristan, Nazir told AKI he has never been opposed to Al-Qaeda and his differences with the IMU were of a local nature.

He said he has also recently re-established communication with IMU leaders.

–IANS/AKI
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