Rare pix of Bajaur military operation

On Friday, September 26, 2008, got an opportunity to visit Bajaur as part of a media team. Around 8.20 am we flew from Islamabad heliport after boarding MI-17 helicopters and after about 90 minutes flight landed in Bajaur, one of the seven lawless Pakistan tribal districts bordering Afghanistan where Al-Qaeda and Taliban linked militants are fighting pitched battles with Pakistani military.

[caption id="attachment_470" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="A cobra gunship helicopter gets ready to strike militants in Bajaur, Pakistan"][/caption]

During the current operation launched since last month, the military has killed more than 1,000 militants and lost its 27 soldiers, chief of frontier corps major general Tariq Khan told reporters. Among those killed there are six militant commanders.

[caption id="attachment_471" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Bajaur valley, Pakistan"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_472" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="A militant hide out destroyed by air strike in Bajaur, Pakistan"][/caption]

Have visited South Waziristan tribal district twice during the past five years, but it was only on Friday that I saw the real battle going on between military and militants just outside Khar, the main town of Bajaur tribal district. The cobra helicopter gunships fired at militant hide outs as we visited Tang Khata village, while militants responded with small and heavy arms on ground. Fortunately no incident with media persons.

[caption id="attachment_475" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="A soldier gives cover to media as helicopter gunships pound militant hide out. Notice the smoke"][/caption]

For pix please visit again or click here