On the Frontlines with Pakistani Forces Fighting the Militant “Center of Gravity”
Bajaur, Pakistan – I spent the last few days with the Bajaur Scouts on the frontlines of Pakistan’s major anti-militant operation in the tribal region the Scouts call home. But it’s not just the Scouts in the fight, all tolled there are about 4,000 – 5,000 Pakistani security forces pushing their way west toward the border with Afghanistan. The focus of the operation, the commanding officer of the Scouts told me, is so they can cut off the supply and transportation vein the militants have established running from the southern parts of the tribal belt up to Bajaur and then across into the Kunar province of Afghanistan. Kunar is the site of some of the deadliest militant attacks on coalition forces and a lifeline for the Taliban who has kicked up its terror attacks across Pakistan.
I’ve had multiple opportunities to report alongside US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. This was my first time with a foreign army. I’ve lived in Pakistan two times, so I’ve gotten to know the culture here quite well. With hospitality a hallmark, you are hard pressed to leave anyone’s house in Pakistan without a cup of tea or a meal. That’s even if you are just dropping something off. There’s no difference on the frontlines.
Tea with the Colonel
I guess its safe to say any soldier wants to bring as much of their “home” with them to the battlefield. On Wednesday, we hopped from compound to compound captured by the security forces from the militants in just the last few weeks. As we stopped to hear what Colonel Ali’s take was on things, mortars being fired from a compound on our left and massive artillery rounds coming from the HQ a few miles back down the road, what did we do? We had a cup of tea in a nicely arranged outdoor sitting area, of course. I liked the location — 4 yards from a bunker.
Mortars Fly
This is some video of the compound firing mortars to ‘soften’ an area from which a Taliban attack came from the previous night.
done
Taliban Tunnels
This three-month-long battle is being fought inch by inch; the end of the current front line is not far up the road form the Scouts’ HQ. It took them two months to capture just eight miles of territory.
And why did they move so slowly; the Taliban had spent years carving out a cave and tunnel network connecting compounds for miles. All of the compounds not currently used by the Pakistani forces have been razed to the ground. Before they started this “scorched earth” policy, the militants would return to cleared compounds and use them as staging ground to launch more attacks.
This video shows how the Taliban used one such tunnel in an effort to fight off advancing Pakistani forces. The leader of the Bajaur Taliban Qari Zia was in this compound when the troops arrived, but he escaped through one of the tunnels.
done
The commander of Bajaur Scouts said he thinks they’ll be able to wrap up the operation and clear militants out of their area by the end of December. The big question, where will they go? The military is already prepping for the influx in Mohmand, the tribal area south of Bajaur.
I wonder if the tea the soldiers will be serving in Mohmand will be as good as Bajaur?
I’ll get back to you on that one.

