Pak jets pound Taliban hideouts in Mehsud stronghold

Islamabad, June 19: Pressing on with the offensive against Taliban, Pakistani warplanes today pounded several militant training centres in the restive South Waziristan, the stronghold of feared terrorist leader Baitullah Mehsud, while fresh fighting flared elsewhere in the unruly tribal belt.

Fighter jets struck Taliban hideouts at Sarwakai and Madiyan in South Waziristan during early morning strikes.

Several militants were killed or injured in the attacks, which are aimed at softening up the area before a planned ground offensive against the followers of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Mehsud.

Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said the military would hit Mehsud as soon as he was located. "We are looking for him...Once we know where he is, then we will not miss him because we have the F-16s. They are very precise, they have laser-guided bombs and they can work better than a drone." The air strikes came a day after a US drone attack in the same region killed at least 13 militants. Over the past few days, gunship helicopters and jets have pounded targets in South Waziristan. Troops have imposed an economic blockade on areas dominated by the Mehsud tribe and sealed off key roads.

Dozens of Baitullah Mehsud's supporters have also been rounded up as troops completed their deployment in several parts of the semi-autonomous tribal region. The offensive in South Waziristan is likely to be launched soon as operation in Swat and Malakand is winding down. PTI