WORLD
US intelligence and military officials are not sure how long the military will be able to hold the Taliban territory captured.
A day after senior Pakistani army commanders claimed that their forces have captured all major towns and population centres of the extremist-ridden South Waziristan, Taliban and foreign militants appear to have disappeared and not been eliminated.
Army officials said that they have killed as many as 550 Taliban militants a month after the military began its campaign into the lawless territory, yet they acknowledge that hundreds, perhaps thousands more have melted away.
As the offensive into the area, considered to be a sanctuary of al Qaeda and Taliban militants gained momentum, Boston Globe said, "Vast numbers of Taliban and foreign terrorists had disappeared into the vast desert scrub and craggy hills surrounding their strongholds of Sararogha and Ladha".
"Where are they? That's what bothers me," New York Times quoted a senior American intelligence officer as saying.
Azam Tariq, a Tehrik-i-Taliban spokesman claimed that the militants has suffered hardly any casualties."Ours is a strategic withdrawal".
"We will wage a guerrilla war and inflict heavy casualties on the army", he said.
The paper commented that "lasting success" has been elusive for the Pakistani forces. It said that tempered by an agile enemy that has moved easily from one part of the tribal areas to the next—and even deeper into Pakistan—virtually everytime it has been challenged.
The Boston Globe said, it appears that the die-hard Taliban ranks and their top commanders as well as men of the shadowy al Qaeda are postponing the fight for another day to test the army's resolve to continue to pursue them.
Despite the gung-ho mood in the Pakistan Army ranks in the wake of these recent advances, The Washington Post quoted military officials acknowledging that Taliban was well organised, armed and equipped, and that the campaign against them is far from won.
Post said, the Pakistani Army estimated there were 10,000 to 12,000 active Taliban fighters in Waziristan, "which means that only a fraction have been killed".
American journalists taken by helicopters to the erstwhile Taliban strongholds of Sararogha and Ladha by the Pakistan Army said, questions remain where the terrorists have slipped away.
US intelligence and military officials are not sure how long the military will be able to hold the Taliban territory captured.
They wonder once the army leaves, the militants will simply come back.
Media reports said that over the last five years Waziristan's town like Sararogha and Ladha had become mini Taliban states.
While the Americans want the Pakistan Army to keep up the hunt for Taliban and al Qaeda leadership, they fear that Islamabad might end the campaign after crushing Mehsud and cut permanent peace deals with other Pakistani militant factions.
Success in the region, in the remote mountains near the Afghan border, New York Times said could have a direct bearing on how many more American troops are ultimately sent to Afghanistan, and how long they must take.
Guru Nanak Jayanti 2024: Know date, time and significance of festival
DSP tracks down vegetable vendor after 14 years, reason will leave you surprised
Chennai Rain Alert: Heavy showers expected today, IMD issues warning to 11 districts
Ankur Warikoo shares details about his annual salary, reveals he earns Rs...
Donald Trump chooses Elon Musk to lead THIS new Department, it is...
Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 LIVE UPDTES: Voting for first phase begins
IND vs SA: Arshdeep Singh on verge of scripting history, need 8 wickets to achieve THIS massive feat
Bulldozer justice: SC to pronounce verdict today on pleas for guidelines on demolition of properties
IND vs SA, 3rd T20I: Predicted playing XIs, live streaming details, weather and pitch report
Russia plans to boost birth rate with 'Ministry of Sex', here's how
Jharkhand HC issues notice to MS Dhoni in business deal case, asks him to...
IND vs SA, 3rd T20I Dream11 prediction: Fantasy cricket tips for India vs South Africa match
Meet IAS officer, aka 'Collector Bro', who cracked UPSC exam in 2007, now suspended due to...
Here’s why Chunky Panday wouldn’t stay in Shah Rukh Khan’s house in London
Yash's Toxic in trouble? FIR filed against producers of KGF star's upcoming actioner for illegal...
Meet Dr Priti Challa, Kangana Ranaut film director Krish Jagarlamudi's second wife, she leads...
Yaariyan actor Himansh Kohli ties the knot with mystery girl in Delhi temple, first wedding pics out
‘Sometimes I wish I was more tough, more thick-skinned,’ says Aishwarya Rai in viral video
KL Rahul sweats hard in Perth nets ahead of BGT series, WATCH video here
Shahid Kapoor, wife Mira Kapoor rent out their Rs 580000000 luxury Mumbai apartment for Rs...
South Korean actor Song Jae-rim dies at 39 in Seoul apartment
Viral video: Thar SUV gets stuck on railway track after man tries to shoot reel, watch here
Elon Musk's new X post claims Putin must not be blamed for Russia-Ukraine war, instead names…
Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives fame Shalini Passi reveals 'Mom used chilli powder in my...'
My experiences with dating apps
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals how company got its name, says 'we wanted…'
Key Differences Between the Indian Stock Market and Global Indices
Stock prices vs company valuation: Is your stock worth it?
Navjot Singh Sidhu is back on Kapil Sharma's show after five years, but there's a twist
Mukesh Ambani set to invest Rs 65000 crore in THIS Indian state, it will be Reliance's biggest...
Mohammed Shami to return to competitive cricket; star pacer set to play for…
Makoons World School brings a new approach to K-12 education across India
Pakistan Cricket looking to take BIG step on Champions Trophy issue, planning to...
Did Isha Ambani lend Neetu Kapoor her Navratna necklace? Reddit users react
J-K: Gunfight underway between security forces and terrorists in Bandipora
Viral video shows women as 'live mannequins' in mall, sparks fury; WATCH
As Vistara bids goodbye, Air India-Vistara's first flight takes off from Mumbai to...
GATE 2025 Schedule: Exams to begin from February 1; Check full timetable here
CBSE announces BIG changes in Class 10,12 board exams 2025, know details here
Veteran Bengali actor Manoj Mitra dies at 86
Isha Ambani graces Diwali party as she walks with her twins, husband, WATCH
Donald Trump plans to pick Marco Rubio as US Secretary of State: Report
Vadodara IOCL refinery fire: Death toll rises to 2; probe underway
Shah Rukh Khan death threat: Mumbai police arrest accused from Chhattisgarh's Raipur
Delhi reports record high chikungunya, malaria cases in 5 years
Japan's Nara deer's polite bow to Indian woman leaves netizens in awe, WATCH
Meet MS Dhoni’s sister Jayanti Gupta who works as teacher, is married CSK star's...
Pakistani TikTok star Minhal Malik's popularity soars in India, sees unprecedented 100-time surge