LAHORE: Launched on June 15, 2014, the Operation Zarb-e-Azb is just about to complete its first 300 days and within this period, approximately 30,000 personnel of the Pakistan Armed Forces have so far succeeded in exterminating over 2,000 terrorists, besides forcing many deadly militants to leave their hideouts and flee across the border. An exclusive research conducted by the Jang Group and Geo Television Network, with generous archival help from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Rawalpindi, also reveals that between June 2014 and January 2015, some 197 Pakistani soldiers had embraced martyrdom during the first two phases of the operation. The Operation Zarb-e-Azb was planned to be concluded in four stages: strangulation, clearance, rebuilding, and handing over control to civil administration.Besides seizing 33 Improvised Explosive Device (IED) manufacturing factories, five rocket manufacturing factories, seven ammunition factories, nine detention centres of the militants and taking control of 186 tunnels/ hideouts/ caves used by insurgents for their underground movement between June 2014 and January 2015, the Pakistani security personnel had also recovered the following: some 5,898 rifles along with 1,288,422 rounds of ammunition (recovered from different areas of North Waziristan Agency), 2,193 Sub Machine Guns (SMG) and 577,756 rounds of similar calibre, 274 Machine/Light Machine Guns (LMG), 314 Rocket Launchers and 4,901 Rocket Grenades, a huge cache of 104 Anti Aircraft Guns of 12.7mm and 14.5 mm calibre along with 218,050 rounds of ammunition, 4,391 mortars, 9,135 mortar bombs, 3,321 hand grenades, 4,808 IEDs and 1,225,000 kgs of explosives. The Operation Zarb-e-Azb was initiated in North Waziristan by the Pakistani Armed Forces as a renewed effort against militancy in the wake of the June 8, 2014 Karachi Airport terrorist attack, which had claimed 28 lives and had left 18 injured. Research shows that within the first 24 hours, or by the sunset on June 16, 2014, at least 120 suspected terrorists were put to death in North Waziristan tribal region by the Pakistani troops. By June 29, 2014, more than 330 terrorists had been killed while 19 surrendered. However, 10 security personnel were martyred and seven were injured during the course of the offensive. By mid July 2014, around 500 terrorists had been killed, 32 had surrendered, 88 hideouts of militants were destroyed, 15 IED factories with over 2,000 IEDs had been recovered, 23 tons of explosives had been seized, and scores of weapons and ammunition had been confiscated. Some 30 security forces personnel had embraced martyrdom by now, while 88 had been injured. As a result of the operation, at least 929,859 displaced civilians from 80,302 families were registered by Pakistani authorities.By September 3, 2014, according to ISPR, some 910 militants had been killed, whereas an 88-km long road had been cleared. By this time, the Pakistani security forces had cleared major towns of Miranshah, Mir Ali, Datta Khel, Boya and Degan, which were considered strongholds of terrorists. By October 9, 2014, not only around 1,000 terrorists had been gunned down, but the Pakistani security forces had also succeeded in stopping infiltration from across the border. By November 16, 2014, after 138 days of operation, the Zarb-e-Azb Operation Commander Major General Zafarullah Khan had briefed the national media that 90 per cent of the area had been recovered from terrorists by the Pakistan Army, as many as 1,198 terrorists had been killed and 356 were injured, whereas 221 miscreants had been arrested. The operation commander disclosed that 24 army officers had lost their lives, while 155 had been injured during the operation. He revealed that around 2.2 million ammunition and about 10,000 weapons of various kinds had been recovered from the area. The Zarb-e-Azb Operation Commander Major General Zafarullah Khan maintained that the weaponry included around 2,470 submachine guns (SMGs) and 273 machine guns, asserting said that as many as 39 mine-manufacturing factories had also been destroyed. He also said that around 23,000 kgs of explosives had been recovered from the area of Mir Ali and another 78,000 kgs from Miranshah. It was during November 2014 that the Pakistan Army had offered a special package for the youth of Fata. While visiting Fata during Eid-ul-Azha, Chief of the Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif, had personally announced this comprehensive “Fata Youth Package.” The cardinals of the package included induction of 14,000 men from Fata into the army during the next five years (1000 people to be enrolled in the coming six months), provision of free education to 1,500 children in Army Public Schools and Colleges in all cantonments, reservation of seats in all Military Colleges, and imparting technical skills to the people of Fata at technical training institutes in all major cantonments. General Raheel had said that arrangements were also being worked out for large-scale overseas employment of youth from Fata. Besides building the Cadet Colleges at Wana and Spinkai, Waziristan Institute of Technical Education, Wana Institute of Technical Training and Women Skill Development Centre at a number of places, Pakistan Army and Frontier Works Organisation had also completed more than 70 percent work on 714-km-long road system in Fata. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal and the Institute for Conflict Management, over 4,070 casualties were reported. These casualties included 2,851 terrorists, 327 security officials and 892 civilians who were killed during 2014. In 2013, 3,268 deaths were registered. This number included 1,448 civilians, 360 security officials and 1460 terrorists. By January 17, 2015, as Director General Major-General Asim Saleem Bajwa had revealed while addressing the Royal United Services Institute and Radio Pakistan had reported that over 2,000 militants had been killed during the Zarb-e-Azb Operation, while 200 soldiers had lost their lives while combating terrorism and another 800 were injured in action. On March 21, 2015, Major-General Asim Saleem Bajwa had tweeted that in Khyber Agency, another 80 terrorists had been killed and 100 were injured. He had further tweeted that many terrorists had been dislodged from their bases to flee across the border, but had also disclosed that seven soldiers had embraced martyrdom in the process. The above-cited figures are extremely impressive, if one takes into account the fact not only are the Pakistani Armed Forces busy countering the insurgency and terrorism at home since long, they have also participated in 41 peacekeeping missions of the United Nations in 23 countries between August 1960 and October 2013. Between August 1960 and October 2013, as many as 151,505 Pakistani troops had served in the United Nations-led missions in restive countries around the world to protect the lives of civilians, besides providing healthcare and round-the-clock medical facilities in embattled zones. Having a strength of 1,142,000 available troops (active force of 642,892 personnel and 500,000 reserves) in 2012, as per the estimates of the London-based prestigious think-tank International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Pakistani Army happens to be the most significant and consistent contributor to the United Nations peacekeeping missions in almost all continents of the world. This is what the Inter-Services Public Relations, during the tenure of its incumbent Director General Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa, had stated on its official website on October 24, 2013: “Presently, Pakistan is contributing 8,247 all ranks deployed in six different UN Missions. In pursuance of its commitment to the noble cause of international peace and tranquility, 136 Pakistani troops including 22 officers have given the ultimate sacrifice in different UN Missions, almost an equal number have been wounded.” A year earlier, in October 2012, Pakistan was contributing 9,149 all ranks (9.46 per cent of total UN deployment) sent for seven different UN Missions and 131 Pakistani troops (10.24 per cent of total UN fatalities) including 21 officers, were martyred. Almost an equal number had been wounded. Here follows brief details about Pakistan’s involvement in the United Nations-led missions in about 24 countries during these last 55 years: Between August 1960 and May 1964, about 400 Pakistani soldiers were involved in the operation of the United Nations to restore calm and tranquility in the war-torn nation of Congo. Luckily, no casualties were reported. Between October 1962 and April 1963, about 1,500 Pakistani soldiers were involved in the operation of the United Nations in West New Guinea to help human cause, bring back the elusive stability and to promote peace. Fortunately, no casualties were reported here as well. Between 1963 and 1964, Pakistani forces were stationed in Yemen to assist the United Nations in its endeavours to promote international peace and prosperity. Pakistan Army had contributed approximately 170 observers in the 1991 United Nations Mission for a referendum in Western Sahara.Between April 1989 and March 1990, some 20 military observers of Pakistan Army were sent as part of the UN Transition Assistance Group in Namibia. No casualties were reported. Between December 1991 and October 2003, as many as 1,136 Pakistani soldiers had participated in the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mission in Kuwait. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Between December 1992 and December 1994, Pakistani forces had worked for peace in Mozambique.Between 1993 and October 1996, 525 Pakistani troops had displayed professional excellence in the troubled Haiti. No casualties were reported. Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Representative of the Secretary General for Haiti had remarked, “Yours was the most difficult area with a history of militant activities and local feuds. The others, before you, had probably 4 or 5 times more troops and had difficulty controlling the situation. The Pakistani Battalion (PAKBAT)’s performance was consistently impeccable and earned admiration of everyone, Haitian and foreigners alike.” Between 1992 and 1993, 1,106 Pakistani troops, mine clearance and staff had exhibited their fabulous military skills in the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia. No casualties were reported. Between March 1992 and February 1996, around 3,000 Pakistani troops had worked untiringly in the UN Protection Forces in Bosnia/Kosovo. Unfortunately, six casualties were reported here. Between March 1992 and February 1996, about 7,200 Pakistani military personnel were deputed in Somalia and 39 had lost lives in the line of duty.During the UN-led Rwanda mission between October 1993 and March 1996, seven Pakistani military observers had served the country. Between October 1993 and March 1996, Pakistani soldiers were sent to serve in Ethiopia and Eritrea. They were in the Central Asian republic of Georgia between August 1993 and June 2009.Between February 1995 and June 1997, 14 military observers of the Pakistan Army had served in the UN Verification Mission in Angola. Between May 1996 and August 1997, some 1,014 troops and staff of the Pakistan Army had hoisted the country’s flag high by serving in the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia and had returned home without losing a man during this mission. Between 1996 and 2002, Pakistani Army was part of the UN Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (a small peninsula in southern Croatia, near the border with Montenegro).Between October 1999 and December 2005, about 5,000 troops clad in khaki uniforms had worked hard to restore peace with the UN Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone. Six soldiers had laid down their lives in the process. In 1991, Pakistan had sent its men to serve with the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor. In 1999 again, 3,556 gallant Pakistani military personnel were part of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2003, as many as 2,741 Pakistani soldiers had served in Liberia. In 2004, not fewer than 1,185 Pakistani troops had played their part in the Burundi Civil War and during the same year, some 1,145 of their compatriots were involved in dealing with miscreants in Ivory Coast. In 2005, Pakistan had sent 1,542 of its troops and 191 observers for the Second Sudanese Civil War. Between 2008 and 2010, 10 Pakistan Army personnel were present in Central African Republic and Chad, which had been swamped by the civil war between the Arab Muslims of the North and the African-Christians of the South. The ISPR website maintains: “The Pakistani engineering troops had not only undertook and completed cumbersome task of developing and reconstructing thousands of kilometres of communication infrastructure in Cambodia, Sudan, Darfur, Ivory Coast, Liberia etc, but also actively participated in de-mining operations in different missions like Kuwait, eastern Slovenia, etc.” While paying tribute to Pakistani Troops, Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations had thus acknowledged: “Your soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the world peace and the UN salute this record of global idealism because I believe it reflects a determination among the Pakistani people to serve the world.” A July 22, 2014 data released by the United Nations had revealed that with the security situation deteriorating at home, Pakistan, once a top troop contributor to United Nations peacekeeping missions, had reduced its troops significantly. The United Nations had revealed that during the last five years, the global force involved in the UN peace keeping missions had increased from around 94,000 in 2009 to over 98,000 in first six months of 2014, though Pakistan had decided to reduce its troops by almost 32 per cent in a period that coincided with growing troubles at home and international incidents. The United Nations report had further mentioned: “Pakistan was once the top troop contributor with 10,680 troops in 2009. Since, Pakistan has reduced its troops to just 7,203 in first half of 2014. Pakistan, the fourth largest contributor to the UN Police missions with 916 personnel in 2010, has slipped to sixth spot contributing just 567 police officers this year. In terms of contribution to the UN military experts, Pakistan has fallen from the top spot in 2010 with 114 experts sent to peace missions to third position with just 81 military experts. The share of the Pakistani troops in UN peace missions has also fallen from 8,877 in 2010 to 6,555 personnel in the first half of 2014.” Currently conducting the “Al-Samsam 5” or the joint military exercises with the Royal Saudi Land Forces in the Shamrakh field of Saudi Arabia since March 30 this year, the highly professional units of the Special Forces of Pakistan Army have undoubtedly been one of the busiest in the world.
