The United States has praised Pakistan for its recent operations but has also pushed the government to take on other militants who are launching cross-border attacks against US and NATO troops in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has resisted, saying it has its hands full battling militants waging war against the state, including those in Bajur.
“We are in full control of Damadola,’’ said Abdul Malik, a local government official. “We are also working to set up a militia to ensure the militants cannot return.’’
Damadola, a cluster of more than dozen villages about 10 miles north of the main town of Khar, has served as a stronghold for local and foreign militants for years and was one of the first areas targeted by US drone missile strikes in 2006.
The area was filled with militant hide-outs, training centers, tunnels, and bunkers, said another local official, Jamil Khan. Pakistani forces never invaded Damadola during the initial Bajur operation launched in late 2008 because the dominant tribe in the area promised to expel the militants, said Khan.
The tribe failed in its efforts, prompting the military to launch its latest operation on Jan. 27, he said.
The Taliban said they withdrew from the area responding to orders from senior commanders.
