Commanders say they have trapped the fighters in a 60 kilometer (37 mile) circumference cordon around two villages in the semi-autonomous northwest tribal region, within 20 kilometers of the Afghan border.
| It just keeps getting bigger and bigger, doesn't it ... |
Hussain said he had no idea of the nationality or identity of the senior Al-Qaeda figure and could not rule out the possibility he may have escaped. "We are doing our best but no cordon can be absolutely waterproof. Any foreign Al-Qaeda element is a high-value target to me." Troops Saturday were searching homes for Al-Qaeda suspects and their supporters in the villages of Shin Warzak and Kalushah, inside the cordon. Hussain accused the local Yargulkhel clan, a sub-tribe of the Pasthun tribes who straddle both sides of the border, of supporting the "terrorists" and vowed to punish them. "The Yargukhel, who are totally involved in criminal activities, are part of the local support network for the terrorists," he said.
Afghan commanders in southeast border provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Khost, facing Pakistan's South Waziristan and North Waziristan, said US forces had stepped up activities in recent days. "There is increased activity by American forces in Paktika province and along the Afghan-Pakistan border," border commander Zakim Khan told AFP. "The Americans have increased their activities in Khost recently," Khost governor Hakim Taniwal said. |