Foreign fighters in South Waziristan show danger of a transnational enemy

While much of the Western military action is confined by nominal national boundaries, the insurgents and jihadists they fight have no such restrictions. The West is committed to an outdated model. It is engaged in Afghanistan, for example, but the forces they fight there are a transnational movement who care little to UN mandates that confine the West to only operate within set borders. For examples, a recent raid on a Talban stronghold in South Waziristan by Pakistan forces netted four foreign fighters including Arabs and a Bangladeshi. This transnational movement continues to prove difficult to combat based on outdated notions of military engagement. We wonder how long it will take the planning hierarchy to work this out and rework their strategy as a result..

Security forces raided a private hospital before dawn in a Taliban stronghold in South Waziristan on Thursday, killing four foreign militants and a woman, officials said. 27 others were also arrested…

Troops laid siege to the Hafiz Hospital in Wana, which belonged to a former MNA, at 2:00am (2100 GMT) sparking gun battles until around 7:00am (0200 GMT), local administration and intelligence officials said.

A security official said the raid followed a tip off that wounded militants were brought to the hospital from Sherwangi, a Taliban-dominated area where Pakistan has been pressing a major offensive.

“Commandos and security forces raided the hospital. Militants fired on the troops and in the gunfight, which lasted more than four hours, four militants and a woman were killed, while 27 others were arrested,” said the official.

“One soldier was also injured. The three dead militants appear to be Arabs and one of Sudanese origin,” the official added.

The identity of the woman was not initially clear, the official said.

An intelligence official and a local administrator confirmed the raid and deaths of four foreign militants, but said their identities were not immediately clear. The intelligence official said 27 suspects were arrested.

DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Troops kill four militants in South Waziristan