Operation Zarb-e-Azb (Pashto/Urdu: آپریشن ضربِ عضب ALA-LC: Āpres̱ẖan Ẓarb-i ʿAẓb; lit. 'Single Strike') was a joint military offensive conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces against various militant groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and Lashkar-e-Islam. The operation was launched on 15 June 2014 in North Waziristan along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as a renewed effort against militancy in the wake of the 8 June attack on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, for which the TTP and the IMU claimed responsibility.
Part of the war in North-West Pakistan, up to 30,000 Pakistani soldiers were involved in Zarb-e-Azb, described as a "comprehensive operation" to flush out all foreign and local militants hiding in North Waziristan. The operation has received widespread support from the Pakistani political, defence and civilian sectors. As a consequence, the overall security situation improved and terrorist attacks in Pakistan dropped to a six-year low since 2008.
Etymologies
Zarb-e-Azb (Urdu: ضربِ عضب ALA-LC: Ẓarb-i ʿAẓb pronounced [zərb-e əzb]) means "sharp and cutting strike".
Background
Peace negotiations
Peace negotiations with the Taliban were announced by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after his election, although previous attempts to engage TTP in dialogue had failed. The first session of talks, between committees appointed by the Pakistani Government and the Taliban, was held on 26 March 2014 at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad. The Taliban did not name representatives from their ranks, instead nominating pro-Taliban religious figures to present their views. The terrorists called for the implementation of Sharia in Pakistan; the Government of Pakistan demanded the cessation of hostilities, insisting that talks be held within the framework of the Pakistani constitution. A month-long ceasefire was reached on 1 March 2014.
Besides the meetings at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, negotiations also involved helicopter travel by government representatives to the areas under militant control near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The government had indicated that stronger military action would be implemented if the talks failed.
Failure
Negotiations collapsed after the execution of 23 Pakistani Frontier Corps soldiers by the Taliban on 17 February 2014. The soldiers had been held by the insurgents since 2010, and on 17 April 2014 the TTP formally ended the ceasefire.
Taliban infighting since March 2014 killed more than 90 militants. The strife, triggered by differences between the Mehsud group (led by Sheheryar Mehsud) and another TTP faction (led by Khan Said Sajna), impeded the negotiations. The negotiations were irreversibly damaged by a terrorist attack on Karachi Airport for which the Taliban claimed responsibility and which killed 28 people (including security personnel). A Pakistani military official was quoted to have said, "The army is ready for an operation."
Jinnah Airport attack
The operation began one week after a terrorist attack on Pakistan's busiest airport. On 8 June 2014, 10 militants from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and TTP attacked Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, killing 28 people including security personnel and wounding at least 18.
In retaliation, the Pakistani military launched a series of air-strikes targeting terrorist hideouts in the areas bordering Afghanistan. At least 25 militants were killed on 10 June. The figure also included foreign militants killed. Two drone attacks on 12 June killed Uzbek, Afghan and local militants. On 15 June the Pakistani military intensified air-strikes and bombed eight foreign militant hideouts, killing as many as 140 militants (most Uzbek, including persons linked to the airport attack and airport attack commander and mastermind Abu Abdur Rehman Almani) in North Waziristan.
Preparations
The Pakistani military had prepared for the operation long before, and the government prepared for a three-front operation: isolating targeted militant groups, obtaining support from the political parties and saving civilians from the backlash of the operation.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the nation stood by its military: "The decision was taken after the strategy of dialogue failed. The operation will continue until it reaches its logical conclusion. Any group that challenges Pakistan's constitution, attacks civilians, soldiers, and government installations and uses Pakistani territory to plan terrorist attacks will be targeted". Asif added that internally displaced persons would be assisted by the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments: "We will try to ensure that the displaced do not have to stay away from their homes for too long."
The combat troops encircled militant bases in the towns of Mirali and Miranshah. Pakistani officials said that the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) were requested to seal the border on their side so that militants do not escape. The operation involved the Air Force, Navy artillery, tanks and ground troops. According to a military statement, "On the directions of the government, armed forces of Pakistan have launched a comprehensive operation against foreign and local terrorists who are hiding in sanctuaries in North Waziristan." An official with the military said that between 14,000 and 20,000 soldiers were normally stationed in North Waziristan before the operation, and he expected the offensive to require no more than a total of 30,000 troops.
Timeline
2016
April
On 3 April, the Pakistani government declared victory and the end of the operation after clearing 640 square kilometers in Shawal, killing some 250 terrorists.
May
Pakistan clears last militant stronghold North Waziristan Agency
November
Pakistan Army major was killed and six soldiers injured in a roadside IED explosion in South Waziristan Agency
2017
February
- 12 February 2017: 3 FC Personnel killed in South Waziristan IED Explosion
American drone strikes
Drone strikes, which were halted for six months at the request of the Pakistani government, resumed for the operation. The following drone strikes took place during the operation:
In 2014
- 11 June 2014: Two strikes in Miramshah killed 16 suspected militants and injured several others. These were the first drone strikes of 2014; the previous strike occurred on 25 December 2013 in the Qutab Khel area of Miramshah, killing four suspected militants.
- 18 June 2014: At least six militants were killed in Miramshah.
- 10 July 2014: A strike in the Datta Khel area killed seven militants and injured three others.
- 16 July 2014: Four missiles were fired in a strike in the tehsil of Datta Khel, two on a house and two on a vehicle, killing twenty militants and injuring five.
- 19 July 2014: Eleven militants, including two commanders, were killed in the tehsil of Madakhel, Data Khel, North Waziristan. Most of the militants belonged to the Punjabi faction of the Taliban.
- 6 August 2014: A strike in Datta Khel killed six militants and injured two others.
- 24 Sept 2014: At least eight people including Uzbek Militants were reportedly killed in a US drone strike Dattakhel tehsil of North Waziristan.
- 5 October 2014: At least five suspected militants were killed in a US drone strike in Shawal area of South Waziristan tribal region.
- 6 October 2014: At least eight suspected militant were killed and several other injured in a U.S. drone strike in Shawal district of North Waziristan.
- 7 October 2014: At least three suspected militants were killed in a U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan region.
- 30 October 2014: A US drone strike killed at least 4, injuring several others in Birmal Tehsil of South Waziristan.
- 11 November 2014: A US drone strike in Doa Toi area of Datakhel tehsil in North Waziristan Agency killed 4 suspected militants.
- 21 November 2014:Reportedly Five suspected militants including two commander of 'Qaedat al-Jihad in the sub-continent', a newly established branch of Al Qaeda were killed in a US Drone strike in Datakhel region of North Waziristan Agency.
- 6 December 2014: A US drone strike killed a key Al Qaeda leader Umar Farooq along with four others in Datakhel region of North Waziristan Agency.
- 26 December 2014: Two separate US Drone strikes in the Kund and Mangroti area of Shawal in North Waziristan Agency killed at least seven suspected militants.
In 2015
- 4 January 2015: A reportedly high-value unidentified Uzbek commander of Taliban's Gul Bahadur group was killed along with eight others by a US drone strike in Shawal area of North Waziristan Agency.
- 15 January 2015: A US drone strike reportedly killed 7 suspected militants in Wacha Dara area of Liddah Tehsil of South Waziristan Agency.
- 19 January 2015: A US drone strike killed six while injuring four others in the ShahiKhel area of North Waziristan's Shawwal tehsil.
- 28 January 2015: A US drone strike killed 7 while injuring another militant in the Shawal area of North Waziristan.
- 18 March 2015: A US drone strike killed a TTP commander Khawrey Mehsud along with 3 others in Shabak area of Kurram Agency.
- 12 April 2015: A U.S. drone strike killed four suspected militants in North Waziristan.
- 16 May 2015: A drone strike Killed seven to 13 militants in the Mana area of North Waziristan Agency.
- 18 May 2015: A U.S. drone strike killed six suspected militants in Zoye Narye Area of North Waziristan.
- 2 June 2015: Four suspected militants were killed in a drone strike targeting a vehicle in the Shawal area of North Waziristan.
- 6 June 2015: At least nine suspected militants were killed in a strike in Shawal's Zoya Saidgai area, considered to be a hideout of the Afghan Taliban.
Yearly progress
On 13 June 2015, the Pakistani military reported progress in the operation in the course of a year. DG ISPR Asim Saleem Bajwa reported that 2,763 militants had been killed so far, including 218 terrorist commanders in 9,000 intelligence based operations (IBOs). "Some 837 hideouts of terrorists have been destroyed and 253 tonnes of explosives recovered so far during the operation", he said. The Army also recovered 18,087 weapons, including heavy machine guns, light machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers and AK-47s . Bajwa said that thousands of terrorists were also arrested, their strongholds cleared and their communication infrastructure destroyed. "347 officers and soldiers of Pakistan Armed Forces have embraced martyrdom", he added. The year 2015 was declared to be "a year of victory" and the operation itself a "manifestation of the resolve to root out terrorism in the country" by the Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.
Final phase
It's a matter of great privilege and honor to be commanding such an accomplished and battle hardened Army, We will not stop unless we achieve our end objective of a terror free Pakistan.
One and a half years after the start of Zarb-e-Azb, phenomenal successes were achieved, with the last pockets close to the Pakistan-Afghan border being cleared. Terrorist backbone broken and structure dismantled. Nexus with sleeper cells largely disrupted. Intelligence based Operations (IBOs) busted remaining sleeper cells. 3,400 terrorists were killed, with 837 hideouts from where they were carrying out terrorist activities destroyed. During the last 18 months over 13,200 IBOs carried out across the country in which 183 terrorists were killed, 2,193 arrested. IBOs continue. 488 officers and men of Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps KPK, Baluchistan, Rangers Sindh were killed and 1,914 injured in Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Total 11 military courts. 142 cases referred to military courts. 55 cases decided, 87 cases in process. 31 terrorists convicted. In July, the Pakistan Army Chief, General Raheel Sharif visited the military's forward-most positions near the Afghan border in North Waziristan He was briefed about the progress and future plans for Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Sharif also visited South Waziristan and Wana agencies. It was reported that the Pakistani military had just completed the preliminary preparations for final phase. In the area around Shawal, peaks were cleared.
Management of displaced civilians
As a result of the operation, 929,859 displaced civilians (from 80,302 families) were registered by Pakistani authorities as of 14 July. Financial support, relief goods and food packages were being distributed and 59 donation points were established across Pakistan by the army.