Pakistani troops have probably surrounded Ayman al-Zawahiri, the
No. 2 of the al-Qaeda terrorist group, in the country's tribal
area, official sources said.?
"There is a strong possibility that the militants are fighting
to protect al-Qaeda No. 2," said a government official on condition
of anonymity.
Another intelligence official said, "We have been receiving
intelligence and information from our agents who are working in the
tribal areas that al-Zawahiri could be among the people hiding
there."
Information was also coming in from some of the 18 suspects
arrested during Thursday's operation. Some of the suspects said
al-Zawahiri was injured in the operation, which left "dozens" dead,
according to the official.
However, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sheikh Rashid
said "We can not confirm the presence of any named al-Qaeda
figure."
"The possibility of any important figure being surrounded can
not be ruled out," the minister said.
Earlier, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said in an
interview with CNN that the country's troops have surrounded
al-Qaeda fighters protecting a "high-value target," without
mentioning who the target is.
"I think there is very likely a high-value target," Musharraf
said, adding "I can't say who."
"They are giving fierce resistance so we are pretty sure there
is a high-value target there," said Musharraf.
Hundreds of Pakistani army and paramilitary troops backed by
gunships Thursday raided homes in the country's remote South
Waziristan tribal agency in a fresh offensive against al-Qaeda and
Taliban suspects two days after a similar operation in the same
area left 39 people dead, including 15 government troops and 24
local tribal militants and some foreigners.
The operation, which took place about 15 kilometers west of
Wana, headquarters of the tribal agency bordering Afghanistan,
started on Thursday morning and it progressed smoothly, Major
Antique of Inter-Service of Public Relations told Xinhua early
Thursday.
He added the locals were shifted to safer places hours before
the operation began but he refused to give any more details.
Thursday's offensive against al-Qaeda suspects coincided with
the five-day South Asia tour by US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
During his stay in Islamabad, Powell spoke highly of Pakistan's
cooperation with the United States in the war on "terrorism."
(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2004)