Roundup: Pakistani troops fight militants in strategic valley to stop cross-border movement

Pakistani troops, backed by fighter jets and gunships, are battling the Taliban and its new allies in a strategically important valley in the Khyber tribal region to plug one of their main passages of cross-border movement.

The military says that air raids in recent days have killed more than 200 fighters of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and "Lashkar-e-Islam" group in the rugged mountainous region of Tirah Valley that borders Afghanistan.

Security officials believe that many of the militants, who have escaped from the other tribal regions in the wake of military offensives, have taken shelter in Tirah Valley which is inaccessible because there are no roads. Pakistani forces are not on the ground in the valley, but have made some advancement after the recent air strikes inflicted losses on the militants.

The security forces stepped up attacks as the TTP had been using the valley as a major hideout and to plan attacks after the militants lost their bases in the North Waziristan tribal region. The Taliban had planned a deadly attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.

The Taliban and other anti-government armed groups are showing resistance to the security forces while taking advantage of their earlier control on the ground.

Control over Tirah Valley is significant for the Taliban as they can hide and use the valley to cross the border into Afghanistan.

The valley is equally important for the security forces to deprive the militants from their last base and to block their passage of cross-border movement. Afghan forces also do not have much control in this difficult terrain on their side of the border, Afghan experts familiar with the region said.

Pakistani Taliban, who traditionally avoids alliances with other groups, embraced "Lashkar-e-Islam" as they needed a relatively secure place to take shelter. The TTP had joined hands with the "Lashkar-e-Islam" to eliminate the "Ansar-ul-Islam" group that was the main rival of the Lashkar in the Khyber agency and was considered pro-government. After a series of bloody clashes, the TTP and Lashkar succeeded in expelling Ansar-ul-Islami from the Tirah Valley.

The Taliban and Lashkar-e-Islam had been using the area to expand their influence in another tribal region, Orakzai, where the militants once had a strong presence. They also used the valley to send militants to Peshawar. However, they did not succeed because of a series of operations in other parts of the Khyber Agency, including Bara town, which had once been famous for smuggled goods. Bara is one of the entry points of the Khyber Agency from Peshawar.

The security forces, who control some hilltops surrounding the Tirah Valley, had earlier taken some advantage of the TTP-Ansar fighting for a possible ground assault. However, Ansar lost ground due to the unexpected alliance of the TTP and Lashkar.

The Taliban are now under tremendous pressure as they have been expelled from many of their previous bases and are fighting a war of survival in the Khyber Agency. Due to such pressure, a splinter group, the "TTP Jamaat-ul-Ahrar" and Lashkar-e-Islam have merged into the TTP. However, the new alliance may not work now as security officials believe all the militants are on the run.

As Pakistani forces are now hitting the TTP hard in the Tirah Valley, it is important for Afghanistan to ensure that the militants do not cross onto the other side of the border, analysts said. Endi