Mehsud, Fazalullah shift their base to North Waziristan

October 2nd, 2009 PESHAWAR - Pakistan's military is set to launch a ground operation in the Taliban's main stronghold in Pakistan's tribal areas, South Waziristan. For three months, the Pakistan Army has been charting out plans, holding indepth deliberations and studying past operations that failed miserably, the New York Times reports.

August 24th, 2009 WANA - A commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Monday said his organisation will select a new chief in the next five days according to the instruction of their leader Baitullah Mehsud, a media report said. Waliur Rehman, commander of the group in South Waziristan, said: We have thousands of suicide attackers, who can destroy their (government) targets anywhere.

August 9th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - In a bid to ensure that Islamabad doesn't call off or delay its military offensive in Waziristan following the reported death of Baitullah Mehsud, the United States has told Pakistan to continue fighting the war on terror in the tribal areas. "The Obama administration is pleased over the death of Baitullah Mehsud, but it is against any decision by Islamabad to delay the South Waziristan offensive for long or call it off," The Nation quoted a diplomatic source, as saying.

August 6th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A delegation of elders of the Mehsud tribe of South Waziristan has arrived in Islamabad in an effort to persuade the Pakistan Government to stop military action against the people of their area. The 45-member jirga led by Senator Saleh Shah has met several leaders, including JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi and parliamentarians from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

July 28th, 2009 LONDON - The Pakistan government has entered into 'secret negotiations' with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud, which is the prime reason why Islamabad has refrained from launching an all out operation in South Waziristan, a leading British daily reports. A report in The Telegraph said that the government has delayed the ground assault against Mehsud due to secret negotiations between him and security forces.

July 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan government may have announced an all out war against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud in South Waziristan,but it has so far failed to bring the important Taliban leader Jalaluddin Haqqani on its side as part of its strategy to isolate the warlord, the BBC reports. While Pakistan Air Force's fighter jets continue to pound suspected hideouts of the Taliban in South Waziristan, every step to garner support of Haqqani, a key Afghan leader, has failed.

July 3rd, 2009 LAHORE - The Pakistan Army may have been planning an all out assault against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud in his stronghold of South Waziristan, but experts believe that the operation could result in further disappointment for the United States. South Asia specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations, Daniel Markey, warned that Pakistan "may be biting off too much" by initiating an offensive against the Taliban chieftain in his stronghold without establishing total command in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

July 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - The Pakistan Army is planning an offensive against the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud in his stronghold South Waziristan, but it seems that it is unaware of the massive threat that the region has in store. The military will have to face a formidable army of extremists if Mehsud join hands with the militant commanders of North Waziristan, The Christian Science Monitor reported an analysis in the Long War Journal, as saying.

June 23rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - There seems to be an apparent lack of communication between the Pakistan government and the military, when it comes to determining the current status of Swat Taliban chief Mullah Fazalullah. While Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's Advisor on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik has claimed that security forces have 'encircled' Fazalullah, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that it cannot 'confirm' reports about the status of the Taliban commander yet.

June 23rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A militant leader, who openly challenged Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in north-western Pakistan Tuesday, media reports said. Qari Zainuddin was fatally shot in his house in the town of Dera Ismail Khan, located near the lawless South Waziristan tribal district, the main stronghold of Mehsud.

June 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - The Pakistan Army has claimed that its Swat offensive has been successful with scores top Taliban leaders being killed, but the fate of Swat Taliban chief Mullah Fazalullah and the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud is still under wraps. Now, the Pakistan security forces have shifted their focus on South Waziristan, the stronghold of Mehsud, and the region where the warlord is believed to be hiding, as experts consider that if Mehsud is nabbed, a large quota of the menace of terrorism would die down in times to come.

June 20th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - With the Pakistan government announcing a Swat like military offensive in South Waziristan with a primary motive to hunt down the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud, the NATO forces deployed in Afghanistan are also ready to extend help. The allied forces stationed in Afghanistan will likely extend help in Pakistan's military offensive, by sharing important intelligence inputs in order to prevent a probable spill-over of the militants, The Nation reports.

June 18th, 2009 LONDON - To turn the main support base of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan commander Baitullah Mehsud against him, the Mehsud tribesmen, Pakistan has imposed an economic blockade on his mountain stronghold to encourage civilians to flee before a planned ground offensive. Authorities are also arresting dozens of Mehsud tribesmen and shutting down the businesses of others on the fringes of South Waziristan , according to local officials.

June 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan government has asked the Army to carry out an all out offensive to hunt down the Tehreek-e-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, and Mehsud tribes. Addressing a press conference, the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Governor, Awais Ghani, said that a comprehensive military operation would be launched against Mehsud for harbouring terrorists, and killing innocent people.

March 26th, 2009 Jandola (South Waziristan, Pakistan), - At least twelve people were killed in a suicide bomb blast at a restaurant in South Waziristan's Jandola town on Thursday. A BBC report said that 20 people were injured in the explosion.