(23 Mar 2004)

near Sarwakai, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of Wana - March 23, 2004
1. Shot of remains of Pakistan army Toyota offroader following ambush, filmed from moving car
2. Remains of burned out lorry
3. Destroyed vehicle
4. Helicopter in air
5. Pakistan army building a wall with sand bags for defence purposes
6. Wide shot of Pakistan army checkpoint
7. Various of soldiers with rifles
8. Man being searched by soldiers
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammed Azam Khan, Political Agent for Pakistan Army:
"This problem has been since the days of the previous Jihad when these people fought against the former Soviet Union, so they have been staying in this area and with the change of circumstances now we started off talks with the tribal elders to gain their confidence and to explain to them that these people that if these people do something in the neighbouring country that is against the interests of this country. In the first phase, we gave them a list of harbours, local harbours, to help these foreign elements and about 60 percent of those whose names were provided to them have been handed over to the government, so that is one major success. In the second phase, we have foreseen that a stage would come where we would have to go and search ourselves."

Wana - March 23, 2004
10. General view of Wana
11. Local people removing belongings from homes
12. Various of shop owners emptying contents of shop and loading goods on truck
13. Various of Pakistan army patrolling town for al Qaida fighters

Karikot, west of Wana - March 22, 2004
14. Various of injured children with bandaged legs lying on bed
15. Boy with bandaged legs lying on bed
16. Doctors attending to injured child
17. SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Sherjan Wazir, Father of two wounded children:
"I went into my house when firing started and two of my children were wounded. I rushed them to the hospital."
18. Various of dead bodies on stretchers

STORYLINE

Attackers ambushed a Pakistani army convoy heading for a counterterrorism sweep against al-Qaida militants near the Afghan border, officials said on Tuesday.

The unidentified attackers fired rockets on Monday that hit at least six army trucks in the ambush near Sarwakai, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of Wana, the main town in the South Waziristan tribal region.

Some of the trucks were carrying petrol and were destroyed by fire in the attack, a government official in Sarwakai said on condition of anonymity.

He said 12 soldiers were killed and 15 were injured.

Also on Monday, assailants fired rockets on an army checkpoint in Parachinar, killing three soldiers and wounding four others, a senior security official told The Associated Press.

Residents of Wana were packing their belongings and leaving on Tuesday as the counterterrorism sweep against al-Qaida militants near the Afghan border continued.

Shopkeepers were emptying their shops of goods in the hope of selling it in market stalls elsewhere.

There has been a week of fierce clashes near Wana, between thousands of Pakistani troops and hundreds of suspected al-Qaida militants and sympathetic Yargul Khel tribesmen.

The area was quiet early on Tuesday but Pakistani soldiers continued to patrol the area looking for al-Qaida fighters.

In the village of Karikot, west of Wana, at least two people were killed and several children were injured when they were caught between guerrillas and the Pakistani army.

Meanwhile, an attempt by tribal elders to end the fighting made little headway when they visited the battle zone on Monday, according to both officials and elders.





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