Rattled by a fresh upsurge in militant violence, Pakistan is planning a major military offensive with United States support against suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda bases in its tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
The terrorists were 'unusually silent' during and immediately after the February 18 general election, but three major attacks recently, including the bombings at a meeting of tribal elders on Sunday and at a funeral of a slain police officer earlier, have left at least 100 dead.
While the US will provide technical support for this offensive, there will be no direct American participation in it, the influential Dawn newspaper quoted diplomatic sources in Washington as saying on Monday.
The decision to go after the militants followed a recent increase in terrorist attacks in the country.
The proposed military offensive, according to diplomatic and US sources, is aimed at curbing the growing influence of the Taliban commander linked to Al Qaeda, Baitullah Mehsud, in the tribal areas, particularly Waziristan.
Reports in the US media on Sunday said that Washington is sending 100 military trainers to Pakistan, who may also participate in operations against the militants.
Pakistan will also continue its efforts to negotiate a peaceful end to the conflict with tribal supporters of the Taliban and Al Qaeda insurgents, the sources said. The military offensive will not terminate the peace talks, they said.
The sources claimed that US intelligence experts had confirmed Islamabad's assessment that Mehsud and his group are responsible for most of the attacks inside the country.
The sources said that since December, when Mehsud assumed command of an umbrella group called the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, he has become active on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghan border.
In an interview with the Washington Post in February, Central Intelligence Agency chief Michael Hayden blamed Mehsud for assassinating former premier Benazir Bhutto and warned that a new 'nexus between Al Qaeda and various extremist and separatist groups' is seeking to destabilise Pakistan.
US officials in Washington said their country is helping Pakistan deal with this threat and recently sent a four-member intelligence team to Islamabad to help enhance intelligence gathering capabilities.
Pentagon officials have said that US intelligence experts are helping Pakistan locate Mehsud who, they said, needs to be 'hammered down'.
Diplomatic sources said that since Mehsud and his militants hide among local tribes, it has been difficult to pinpoint him. The fear of 'collateral damage' or civilian casualties also prevents US and Pakistani troops from targeting Mehsud.
The Pakistan Army last conducted an operation against Mehsud in early January. But the action ended after a few days amid talk of an unofficial truce.
