Pakistan begins major ground offensive

       More than 30,000 Pakistani soldiers launched a major ground offensive in the main al-Qaeda and Taliban stronghold along the Afghan border early yesterday, which was the toughest test yet against militants aiming to topple the state, officials said.
       The offensive in South Waziristan follows months of air strikes intended to soften up militant defences that have also forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee. The full-scale operation also comes after two weeks of militant attacks that have killed more than 175 people across Pakistan and ramped up the pressure on the army to take on the insurgents.
       It is the army's fourth attempt since 2001 to dislodge Taliban fighters from the lawless tribal region of South Waziristan, and an intelligence official said the latest effort could take up to two months. The three previous attempts ended in negotiated truces that left the Taliban in control.
       The offensive is expected to focus on ridding the region of the Pakistani Taliban, a network opposed to the USbacked Pakistani government. The group's influential leader, Baitullah Mehsud, died in a US missile strike in August. But South Waziristan also is home to foreign and local jihadis suspected of planning attacks on US and Nato troops in Afghanistan and targets throughout the West.
       The US is racing to send night-vision goggles and other equipment to aid the operation.
       Local resident Ajmal Khan said people in his town, Makeen, heard the sounds of battle and were terrified but could not leave their homes due to a curfew.Makeen is a key hideout for Taliban militants.
       "We heard sounds of planes and helicopters early Saturday. Then we heard blasts. We are also hearing gunshots and it seems the army is exchanging fire with Taliban," Mr Khan said via telephone.
       South Waziristan is remote and mountainous. It has a porous border with Afghanistan and fiercely independent tribes who have long resisted government interference. With winter snows just weeks away, the army has limited time to pursue ground attacks. Even if it does manage to wipe out its intended targets,it's unclear whether troops will try to occupy the area to prevent the militants from returning. Even if the operation is successful, many could escape to Afghanistan or other parts of Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal belt.
       The officials - two with intelligence,three with the government and one senior army official - yesterday gave few details but said the troops were pursuing militants holed up in the region, including in major trouble spots such as Makeen and Ladha towns.
       The army has sent more than 30,000 troops to the region to participate in the combat, said one of the intelligence officials. He said the ground forces were attacking from different directions while helicopter gunships and other aircraft also were bombing various sites.
       The military already has said it has sealed off many supply and escape routes.
       It is nearly impossible to verify information from the region independently.Foreigners require special permission to enter the tribal areas and it is risky for Pakistani journalists from other parts of the country to operate there.
       Mindful of its previous, half-hearted interventions in South Waziristan, this time the military has said there will be no deals, partly to avoid jeopardising gains won earlier this year when Pakistani soldiers overpowered the Taliban in the Swat Valley, another northwest region.
       In an attempt to show national unity,top political leaders, including the prime minister, met with army commanders on Friday to discuss security strategy and voiced their support for operations against militant strongholds.
       Despite sometimes rocky relations with the Pakistani military, the US is trying to rush in equipment that would help with mobility, night fighting and precision bombing, a US embassy official said. In addition to night-vision devices,the Pakistan military has said it is seeking additional Cobra helicopter gunships,heliborne lift capability, laser-guided munitions and intelligence equipment to monitor cell and satellite telephones.
       The army has considered the weather in the timing of the offensive.
       Snows in the region could block major roads. At the same time, a harsh winter could work to the army's advantage by driving fighters out of their unheated mountain hideouts.
       Although the military has been hitting targets in South Waziristan for the past three months, it waited until two weeks ago to say it would definitely go ahead with a major ground offensive.