Pakistan 'to target Waziristan'

Police in Bannu district say they fear militants may head towards the area A curfew has been imposed in an area bordering the Taliban stronghold of Waziristan ahead of a military operation there, officials say. Pakistan's army and paramilitary forces have deployed troops in the semi-tribal area between the northern Bannu district and Waziristan. "We have imposed an indefinite curfew," local police in Bannu told the BBC. Waziristan is controlled by Taliban militants and is said to be where al-Qaeda leaders have found safe haven. The tribal region has been described by US officials as "the most dangerous place on earth". It is said to harbour some of the world's most wanted men including al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri. Bannu shutdown Police told the BBC that they had imposed the curfew in six of the 12 police station districts in Bannu. "The six police stations all border the semi-tribal areas of Janikhel and Bakakhel, as well as the North Waziristan tribal region," Mohammad Iqbal, head of police in Bannu said. "We fear that with the impending military operation in Janikhel, the militants may escape towards Bannu." Mr Iqbal added that all bus stops in Bannu had also been closed in an attempt to thwart any militant attacks. Local authorities there have sealed also businesses and properties belonging to members of the Janikhel and Bakakhel tribes. The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad said that the Janikhel tribal area has been long known as a hide-out for militants. Since 2008 it has been the target of several missile strikes in which dozens of Taliban and al-Qaeda militants have been killed. The authorities say the tribes in the area have aided Taliban militants in their fight against security forces. Security forces have been steadily increasing their numbers in Janikhel."Hundreds of additional troops have arrived here," Abdul Razzaq, a localadministration official in the Janikhel area, told the BBC. "The entire region has been sealed off from all sides. "Most of the locals have already left the area and gone to their relatives in Lakki Marwat and Bannu," he said. Local officials said the military was waiting for the arrival of helicopter gunships before launching the operation. Some of the remaining locals in the area told the BBC that the army operation in Janikhel would have no effect on the militants as, they say, they fled the area two days ago when the authorities announced a general evacuation. Taliban target The army's move comes days after dozens of college students and teachers on their way to Bannu were kidnapped in North Waziristan. Profile: Baitullah Mehsud The mass kidnapping took place in Janikhel and is said to have been carried out by local Taliban militants loyal to Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) head Baitullah Mehsud. The kidnapped students have all been released. The specific target of this operation is said to be Mehsud and his TTP organization, the BBC's Syed Shoaib Khan says. Security sources earlier told the BBC that the operation in the Janikhel and Bakakhel area is a prelude to a larger operation within the Waziristan tribal region. There have also been reports that troops have been substantially increased in the town of Jandola which borders South Waziristan, Baitullah Mehsud's home base. Our correspondent adds that the plan appears to be to encircle and Mehsud and destroy his organisation. Further north the Swat valley has been the scene of heavy fighting between the Pakistani military and Taliban militants as the army attempts to dislodge militants from their strongholds in that area.