An analysis of the strategy behind the Operation
The global war on terror has eventually changed the traditional concept of warfare tactics to counter a perceived threat and demolish its roots. Operation Zarb-e-Azb (sharp & cutting strike) is one of many military operations that the country has undertaken as part of a ‘war of survival’ to eliminate all kinds of terrorists from Pakistan, with the support of the people. It is being conducted in North Waziristan (NW) near the border of Afghanistan’s Khost and Paktika provinces, an area which has become ‘safe havens’ for dozens of militant outfits.
The Opertaion Zarb-e-Azb was launched after peace talks between the government of Pakistan and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) flopped after an armed attack on Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, which intensified the security situation all over the country. Giving a briefing to media about the Operation, DG ISPR Maj Gen Asim Bajwa said on 15th June, 2014, that the armed forces of Pakistan had initiated a comprehensive operation against local and foreign terrorists to remove their sanctuaries in NW. As one of the major military operations, more than 30,000 troops are participating along with support of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and artillery division. In addition to infantry troops, the Special Services Group (SSG) commandoes are also taking part in the ongoing operation.
Zarb-e-Azb was initiated against militant groups like TTP, Al-Qaeda, and the Haqqani Network. In 150 days (approximately) of the Operation, 90 per cent of the area has been cleared out from local and foreign militants. More than 1,200 terrorists have been killed along with 50 martyred troops. The armed forces have also recovered 150 tons of IEDs and weapons. In addition, plenty of terrorists have surrendered themselves.
The Operation is significant because of its impact on domestic security to marginalising the cross-border terrorism. Strategically, it encompasses all levels of ‘battle tactics’ (i.e., technical, tactical, operational, theatre and grand strategy) to locate and eradicate militants and their sanctuaries effectively, making sure the militants are not able to strengthen themselves again.
Scrutinising the levels of ‘battle tactics’ one can see the following: On ‘technical’ aspect it was decided to evacuate the civilian population of NW to nearby Bannu district and approximately one million people became refugees in Bannu district’s makeshift camps. After evacuation, Pakistan Army initiated full-fledged military strikes by adopting ‘tactical’ strategy, to unite all kinds of forces to push them back. In this regard, PAF conducted surgical strikes to wipe out hideouts of militants in the mountains of Miran Shah, followed by infantry launched search and clear operation, in which they came across resistance by the miscreants and captured tons of foreign explosives, weapons and currencies from their sanctuaries.
The ‘theater strategy’ denotes the significance of terrain and its effects along with ensuring the isolation of enemy by all means. For this purpose, Pakistan government asked Afghan officials to seal the Pak-Afghan border and to cooperate in counter-terrorism efforts. Although, the response from Afghan side was cold but Pakistan Army dug out wide trenches along Durand-line to minimise the flow of miscreants across the border. NW is a land of extreme weather, especially in winters snow-falling and bad weather conditions would halt militants in their offensive activities. Moreover, Pakistan Army is effectively utilising the terrain to its advantage and has forced the terrorists to either surrender or be killed.
The ‘grand strategy’ involves the entire nation in fighting this battle along with military forces against the terrorists. This level describes the roles of economic, diplomatic and military solutions to accomplish the final objectives. In this operation, final objectives are to remove terrorism from Pakistan and restrain its land from covert proxy wars. Pakistan has lost over 55,000 civilian and security personnel since the beginning of war on terror. These are huge numbers for any country that has engaged in any military adventure. The irony is that despite this huge assistance by Pakistan and its security forces, an ungrateful tone always arises from Afghanistan’s side either from Afghan officials or US’ allies. This ongoing operation will not only eliminate terrorists from Pakistan, but also help contain the precarious situation that would take shape after US-NATO forces’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, as Afghanistan security forces are not able to control the cross-border flow of miscreants.
This grand strategy would also facilitate to foil the ‘proxy war’ that India is framing for Pakistan through Afghanistan. After the fall of Taliban’s government, India has been trying to become a ‘strategic ally’ of Afghanistan. India has invested in Afghanistan in massive endeavours, from political to economic and security sector. At least $1.5 billion aid has been promised by India, which has made it sixth largest donor to Afghanistan. They built strategic Zaranj-Delaram highway, a direct connection from Afghanistan to Iranian port Chabahar, thus diminishing the dependency on the Karachi port.
Beside economic cooperation, India has established more than 100 consulates and information centres near Pakistani border, especially Miran Shah with the support of Afghan security forces. It is alleged that Indian intelligence operatives are working along the border and supporting TTP to create havoc in Pakistan. During search operation, Pakistan forces have found weapons and explosives made by India along with anti-Pakistan literature. However, Islamabad wants to avoid another offensive theatre from eastern front; it should be eliminated at the beginning. Conversely, India would not want US-NATO forces to leave Afghanistan in order to maintain pressure on Pakistan from both eastern and western borders. This stands out as no significant response by the Indian side has been registered in the support of Zarb-e-Azb.
Nevertheless, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has already directed security forces to continue the operation until all terrorists are eliminated in the country with the support of local tribes and Pakistani nation, a potent message to those who have designs against Pakistan to destabilise it.
