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| Pakistan 'destroys al-Qaeda base' |
| Wednesday, September 14, 2005 |
The Pakistani army says it has destroyed a major al-Qaeda hideout in its biggest ever operation in the North Waziristan tribal region.
The military says it has arrested more than 20 suspected militants near the Afghan border and seized a Chinese-made spy plane used to track army movements.
The army says the operation, involving helicopter gunships and thousands of troops, is still going on.
Some of the men arrested were described as "important figures".
Some were said to be foreigners, although no more information was given on who they were or where they had come from.
Communications gear
The commander in charge of the operation said sophisticated equipment had been seized, including a small, Chinese-made remote controlled drone, which he said had been used by the militants to spy on army movements and positions in the area.
The drone was shown to the media along with communications equipment which the army said had been used to give instructions to fighters in Afghanistan.
An officer from the Signal Corps said the drone, believed to be the first of its kind found in Pakistan, was equipped with a sophisticated, wide-angle camera.
The BBC's Jannat Jalil in Islamabad says the Pakistani army is heralding its operation as another sign it has al-Qaeda on the run. |
posted by Jay Are @ 8:02:00 PM   |
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