'Pakistan Taliban Regrouping Outside Waziristan', Los Angeles Times, 26 November 2009

EXCERPT: "Since the Pakistani army launched a long-awaited offensive last month to destroy the Taliban in South Waziristan, many militants have fled to nearby districts and begun to establish new strongholds, a strategy that suggests they will regroup and remain a potent threat to the country's weak, U.S.-backed government. Pakistani Taliban militants have escaped primarily to Kurram and Orakzai, districts outside the battle zone but still within Pakistan's largely ungoverned tribal areas along the Afghan border, villagers there say. The military lacks a significant presence in much of these areas, making them an ideal environment for the Islamic militants to regroup. Newly arrived militants have terrorized Pashtun residents and replenished their coffers through kidnappings and robberies, villagers said during interviews in the Kurram and Orakzai districts."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
Taliban escape South Waziristan operation [blog], The Long War Journal, 26 November 2009
Taliban, allies slip through Waziristan dragnet, The Globe and Mail, 26 November 2009
Driving the TTP out, The News International, 25 November 2009

Related posts:
Army expands operations, battles militants in northwest, 23 November
The military offensive in South Waziristan and the Pakistani nexus of global terrorism, 19 November 2009
Following army's successes, militants change tack in Pakistan, 18 November 2009