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http://www.dawn.com/2004/06/13/top11.htm

Precision bombs hit Shakai hide-outs

By Our Correspondent

WANA, June 12: Air force jets and military helicopters bombed suspected hide-outs of foreign militants in the remote tribal region for the second day on Saturday.

Official sources said the jets and helicopters fired precision bombs on suspected targets to soften resistance in the Shakai valley, about 17km north of here.

"Every effort is being made to minimise collateral damage and so far there has been none," said one source.

He said that the army infantry had started moving into the embattledvalley and had reached the centre of the region. It also conducted search for foreign militants in Mantoi and Mandata areas.

He also said that the army had seized a number of suspects and werenow screening them to find out if there were any foreign and local militants amongst them. The army faced light resistance and sporadic gunfire. No real battle took place anywhere, he said.

Meanwhile, political authorities in South Waziristan have issued notices to Afghan refugees asking them to vacate 10 refugee camps and leave the Wana subdivision 'within 72 hours'.

"They may go anywhere but they will have to leave Wana," said oneofficial. The step, he added, was needed due to security perception.

The UNHCR confirmed that the authorities had issued orders to refugeesto leave the area and said it was assessing the situation to see what could be done to help them.

An Afghan refugee told Dawn that the time given to them was too short to leave the area.

"Where will we go? We have our homes here and own business here. Already, we have our shops sealed by the authorities under the economic blockade. We have been farming here. It would need time to wind up the whole thing," Badshah Khan, who lives in one of the refugee camps, said.

The authorities have also imposed a defacto night curfew in Wana.Notices issued to local residents warned that anyone moving about or driving around after sunset would be doing so at his own risk.

It said that people in distress or those carrying patients would have to hoist a white flag on their vehicles in the evening and stop at least 30 yards from a security checkpoint and identify themselves and relate the situation.

"Anybody violating the orders would be risking his own life and would be responsible consequences of his action," the notice warned.

A third notice issued on behalf of the military authorities warnedlocal journalists not to go anywhere near the operation area and said that any reporter trying to go to the area would be doing so at his own risk.

Meanwhile, it is learnt, Shakai's political moharrar Allaudin, and a khasadar have been missing since the launch of the military operation.

According to eyewitnesses, six bodies were brought to Wana on Saturday, four of them were of militants and two of soldiers killed in action.

In the morning on Saturday, suspected militants fired three rockets at the Scouts Camp in Wana. The rockets overflew the camp and one of them hit the room of Dr Izatullah, a child specialist at the Agency Headquarters Hospital, damaging the room.

The two other rockets landed near the Degree College. No-one was hurt in the attack.

Officials said that the operation would continue for some time and might take from one week to 10 days to complete. "The militants have only two options. They will either have to surrender or leave the area. The military is making use of full force at its command and is determined to flush out foreign militants from the region," said one official.