Editorial: War on terror enters a new phase

Tribal areas of Pakistan, once a favourite breeding ground for Taleban/al Qaeda and their fanatical allies, have at last came under fire – apparently by the US-led anti-terrorism Coalition. The attack took place in the village of Damadola in the Bajaur tribal area of Pakistan, about eight kilometres from Kunar in Afghanistan. Early reports listed 18 casualties, including many civilians; other sources later indicated that figures could be much higher. Damadola has been a stronghold for the Taleban, al Qaeda and their allies, and the area has been home to the Tahrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi, or Movement for the Implementation of Shariah. Early on there was some confusion over the origin of the attack: Pakistan said that the fire had come from Afghanistan, but the authorities in Kunar denied it. However, neither confirmation nor denial from these sources cannot be taken as definitive, since the Taleban/al-Qaeda militia never ask permission before launching operations, nor do the authorities exercise control over the province. Pakistani officials initially looked angrily towards Afghanistan, but soon it was proved that the root of the incident lay elsewhere. It was not the first such incident: a similar attack took place last weekend when the US-led coalition was blamed for killing eight Pakistanis inside the semi-autonomous tribal agency of North Waziristan.