Haqqani network shifts base to Kurram

WASHINGTON - Apparently anticipating an impending Pakistan Army offensive on its stronghold of North Waziristan, the dreaded Haqqani network has been preparing an alternative safe haven in the Kurram Agency, a US report said. The Haqqani network has been preparing an alternative safe haven for itself in Kurram Agency to the north, in the event of a Pakistani operation in North Waziristan, the American Enterprise Institute said in a report. The security think-tank said the possible Pakistani military strike would be fraught with complications, and likely unsatisfying to those who expect such operations to have a significant impact on the war in Afghanistan. The think-tank said the Haqqani network and few other militant groups would not be the target this time too of the Pakistani Army campaign, preparations for which are in launch stages. Expectations of the outcomes of the possible Pakistani operations need to be tempered, however. Any operations conducted in North Waziristan will likely not be comprehensive, and will probably target only certain militant groups and limited areas in the agency, the report said.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt