Pak tribals call for air strikes, more arms

Pakistani tribes fighting al-Qaeda militants in North Waziristan have asked the government to launch air strikes to root out extremists amid a fresh wave of violence in the region bordering Afghanistan.

Pakistani tribes fighting al-Qaeda militants in North Waziristan have asked the government to launch air strikes to root out extremists amid a fresh wave of violence in the region bordering Afghanistan. The elders of the Ahmedzai Wazir tribe have also formally requested the government for supply of weapons.

“Key elders like Malik Saeedullah and Malik Sher Jan met political agent Hussainzada Khan in Wana to request for air strikes on Uzbek strongholds and provision of light weapons,” a tribal spokesman was quoted as saying by Daily Times

newspaper.

However, military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said the army had received no such request from the tribes so far. “Let the request come and then we will see what action can be taken,” Arshad said.

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Fierce clashes erupted between pro-government tribesmen and foreign militants, mainly Uzbeks, on March 19. So far at least 260 militants, including 20 in fighting today, have been killed along with 60 tribesmen.

There are around 1200 Uzbek militants with links to al-Qaeda living in the tribal belt ever since they fled from Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002, when the Taliban was ousted by US-led coalition forces in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks.