Pakistan Launches Border Offensive

Pakistani forces hit at the lawless tribal region near the Khyber Pass today, hunting for Taliban militants in the NWFP. But it seems to be quite a limited operation, and in keeping with what has been Pakistan's general policy toward terrorists: Push them back and keep them contained in their little corner.

From the International Herald Tribune:

"The show of force on Saturday, which included a blockade around the area of Bara in Khyber agency where Mangal Bagh keeps most of his fighters, was limited to the Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force that is considered poorly equipped and generally demoralized.

...The main goal of the operation, according to a senior military officer, was to destroy the bases of Mangal Bagh in Bara. Khattak said he expected the operation to be limited and to be completed in five days.

Residents in Sipah, where Mangal Bagh lives, and in Shalober, the site of one of his bases, said by telephone that his forces had left both places by Friday. Mangal Bagh returned to his house in Sipah late Friday night and then left at 4 a.m. Saturday, said Rauf Khan Afridi, a resident of the town who was reached by telephone.

Afridi said that Mangal Bagh had returned to Bara on Saturday night and announced that he would convene a meeting of his leadership to discuss the situation."

The Associated Press reported that the headquarters of Bagh, leader of the Lashkar-i-Islam (Army of Islam), was blown up and that Bagh fled further toward the Afghan border.

This is the first major military action since the coalition opposed to the rule of President Pervez Musharraf won parliamentary elections last spring.

(Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)