Pakistan targets al-Qaida suspects

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistani troops backed by helicopters launched an offensive Thursday to capture suspected al-Qaida fugitives hiding in the mountains along the Afghan border, believed to be a possible hiding place for Osama bin Laden.

The operations follow a bloody series of attacks this week in Afghanistan suspected of being carried out by Taliban and possibly al-Qaida fighters, amid new calls by bin Laden in his latest taped message for Muslims to attack U.S. forces and their allies.

Gen. Shaukat Sultan, spokesman for Pakistan's army, would not say whether the operation, just across the border from Afghanistan's Paktika province, was launched to capture bin Laden or any other al-Qaida leader.

In Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell said he was pleased the Pakistani army "began operations this morning that relate to that challenge" of combating terrorism.

Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, said he "welcomed the announcement that there is a major operation under way in Waziristan against al-Qaida and terrorists, and I hope it will succeed in apprehending senior members of al-Qaida and the Taliban."

Pakistani troops have recently increased operations in the tribal areas along the border, where the central government has little control. The region is suspected of being a haven for al-Qaida fugitives and fighters of Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime.

The closest American base is at Shkin, just across the border in Afghanistan. Lt. Col. Matthew Beevers, a spokesman for the U.S. military, said U.S. solders at firebases such as Shkin were carrying out routine operations, such as vehicle checks and patrols.

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