http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=74690
Airstrikes launched in Shakai
Saturday August 21, 2004 (1402 PST)
WANA: The clashes between paramilitary forces and militants on Saturday continued and for the first time since military crackdown in South Waziristan Agency was launched airstrikes were launched in Shakai.
Gunship helicopters and two Jet fighters fired rockets at suspected targets of militants as fighting continued in Cheep, Salar and Joni Mela where paramilitary troops have come under a siege and militants are pushing hard on them.
Both sides are using heavy machine guns and rockets to take control over each other. However, reports are there that both sides have lost many men but no body could confirm the actual details of life losses.
In order to break the siege in Cheep army is struggling very hard and in order to assist them in breaking this siege military gunships helicopters and two fighter jets bombarded the suspected targets of militants.
According to sources from the area at least 13 bombs were fired at militant targets and their blasts were heard some 40 kilometres away from the spot they were hit from.
One Saeedullah a local who witnessed the bombardment said that five houses were completely destroyed due to bombardment and fire and clouds were visible from different places.
However, no reports of life loss were reported from either side.
Paramilitary troops have closed down all exit and entrance routes leading to area. In the meantime the locals are fleeing the area to get shelter in safer regions.
On the other hand the fighting between Al Qaeda backed militants and paramilitary forces continued in Wana Scouts fort and Tyarza area and fighting was continuing till filing of this report.
In the meantime Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan Director General Inter Services Public Relation talking to a private television channel reiterated government commitment of flushing out terrorists from South Waziristan Agency.
"Every militant is a high value target for us and we are going to continue operation as we cannot bear militants on our land," he added.
Mr Sultan said that operation launched in June was because of stubbornness of miscreants and these clashes between militants and armed forces will continue until militants are completely flushed out of the area.
"On June 9 militants breached Shakai accord by attacking a security agency convoy that resulted in martyring many men and this operation is follow up of that breach," he added.
He also said that besides military operation government was also following political path for the solution of South Waziristan crisis.
Mr Sultan went on to say that in last many days military was attacked in several areas and having no other option left military has to move toward the troubling areas.
"In fresh fighting many militants have been killed and large number of their hide outs were completely destroyed, even yesterday we found dead body of a foreigner killed during clashes and he had a machine gun, grenades, ammunition and a rifle present near his corpse, " he maintained.
When asked to comment on flights of fighter jets he said there are many reasons for these flights, however he made it clear that when fighter jets were used for bombardment the point of protecting civilian population is always in mind of pilots.
He went on to say that gun ship helicopters were flying over Mantio, Santoi and Shwal to gather intelligence related information.
He also denied that any kind of bombardment was going on in South Waziristan Agency at the time being.