NORTHWEST TRIBAL REGION

    The Pakistani government joined the U.S.-led war on terror after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. It has sent some 80,000 troops to hunt al-Qaida militants and Taliban fighters who sneak into northwestern Pakistani tribal region seeking refuge following the Taliban fall in Afghanistan.

    Pakistan has since arrested hundreds of al-Qaida and Taliban members, including top lieutenants of Osama bin Laden. Hundreds of troops have lost their lives during the clashes between government forces and local tribal militants, many of whom share the same Pashtun tribal background and have a history of close links with the tribals in southeastern provinces of Afghanistan.

    According to an official statement released recently, Pakistan has arrested over 500 Taliban suspects, out of whom some 400 have been handed over to Afghan authority.

    The first half of year 2006 has seen numerous bombings and attacks targeting security forces in the Federal Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA), a semi-autonomous region, running from south to north on the border.

    On Sept. 5, 2006, Pakistani government enters into a peace deal with local tribal elders in North Waziristan, belonging to FATA, in an effort to end violence in the region and at the same time stop cross-border movement of militants.

    The government reportedly is continuously approaching tribal elders for holding jirgas and working to promote the North Waziristan-like deals to other tribal areas on the border.

    But things are not always going smoothly for the government which is pushing forward its holistic approach combining peaceful dialogue and military activity.

    On Oct. 30, 2006, Pakistani military killed some 80 alleged militants in Bajaur tribal region, during an air raid targeting a seminary, which, officials said, has served as a camp for training militants for cross-border fighting.

    Days later, a suicide bomber on Nov. 8 attacked recruits at a military compound in northwestern town Dargai, killing 42 soldiers, which came to be the biggest casualty the army has suffered since it initiated the military operations in northwestern tribal region years ago.

    The military spokesman Shaukat Aziz said on Nov. 9 that the government's policy for reaching peace deals in tribal region will not change due to the deadly suicide bombings.