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Pakistan's Hunt For Al Qaeda (23 images)

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  • barwaiz raghzai hills, south waziristan, april 2004: members of the ahmedzai wazir gather for a tribal lashkar laden with heavy weapons. the lashkar was called to track down and evict suspected al qaeda fighters and their collaborators thought to be hiding in the mountains bordering pakistan and afghanistan.<br />

  • wana, waziristan, april 2004: a member of pakistan's frontier corp on evening patrol near the foothills of wana<br />

  • barwaiz raghzai hills, south waziristan, april 2004: a member of the tribal lashkar called by the ahmedzai tribe<br />

  • barwaiz raghzai hills, south waziristan, april 2004: a group of men from the ahmedzai tribal lashkar begin their mountain search for al qaeda hideouts. the pakistan government accused the ahmedzai of harboring al qaeda fighters in these mountains.<br />

  • wana, waziristan, april 2004: members of the ahmedzai lashkar, responsible for tracking suspected al qaeda fighters hiding out in the waziristan hills, prepares to begin their search. men from all the ahmedzai tribes had gathered to form a lashkar over 2000 men strong.<br />

  • azam warsak, south waziristan, april 2004: men pick through the debris of the azam warsak ammunitions market that was destroyed in a mysterious explosion. sabotage was suspected. this market was once the principal market for purchase and sale of weapons to the taliban.<br />

  • kalooshah, south waziristan, april 2004: mir abbas khan sits outside the remains of his family home, destroyed by pakistan army bulldozers. the army has destroyed dozens of homes in this area of people it claims were harboring al qaeda fighters and collaborators. many innocent civilians have lost their homes, belongings and means of livelihood as a consequence.<br />

  • barwaiz raghzai hills, south waziristan, near the afghan border, pakistan, april 2004: a group of men from the ahmedzai tribal lashkar watch as a suspected al qaeda hideout is burnt and destroyed. the lashkar, in response to pakistan government's accusation of their harboring al qaeda fighters, took the unprecendented step of hunting for the suspects themselves<br />

  • azam warsak, south waziristan, pakistan 2004: a man tries to stop a tribal lashkar from destroying his family home. most homes have move than one family living within. even the suspicion that one member had supported suspected al qaeda fighters means that the entire house is destroyed and all its inhabitants cast out.<br />

  • wana, waziristan, april 2004: a young boy from the zalikhel tribe with traditional long locks of hair.<br />


  • barwaiz raghzai hills, south waziristan, pakistan april 2004: deep in mountains of south waziristan, bordering afghanistan, a tribeman keep a look out. the tribesmen have been finding and destroying homes they suspect were being used for giving shelter to al qaeda fighters. lookouts are left behind after a house has been destroyed to make sure the inhabitants do not return<br />

  • azam warsak, south wazisitan, pakistan 2004: men from a tribal lashkar attempt to calm a hysterical family member whose house is being torched by the lashkar. traditional homes may have many families living within them. the suspicion that even one member is harboring al qaeda means the entire house is destroyed.<br />

  • barwaiz raghzai hills, waziristan, april 2004: men celebrate the formation of a tribal laskkar with song and dance. all of waziristan's tribes participated in the lashkar that was formed to hunt for suspected al qaeda hideouts and their inhabitants.<br />


  • dezaghundai, waziristan, april 2004: staff of a gomal high school return to access damage caused to the school house from missle fired by a pakistan army apache helicopter. a large number of civilian homes and buildings were fired upon during the pakistan army's short campiagn against suspected al-qaeda fighters and collaborators<br />

  • dezaghundai, waziristan, april 2004: a man holds up a pakistani flag that he claims was used by pakistani soldiers as a footmat when they had forcibly occupied the premises. the local high school where this incident took place had earlier been hit my missle fire from a pakistan army helicopter. the actions were part of pakistan's campaign to capture al qaeda fighters suspected of hiding out in remote parts of waziristan<br />

  • wana, waziristan, april 2004: the foothills of wana<br />

  • barwaiz raghzia hills, south waziristan, april 2004: deep in the south eastern mountains of south waziristan, a tribal lashkar gathers in preparation for a hunt of suspected al qaeda fighters and supporters.<br />

  • barwaiz raghzai, south wazisitan, april 2004: a tribal lashkar gathers in the foothills of south waziristan. the lashkar has been called together to track down suspected al qaeda fighters and collaborators thought to be hiding in the moutainous regions between pakistan and afghanistan.<br />

  • barwaiz raghzai hills, south waziristan, pakistan april 2004: men from the ahmedzai tribal lashkar spread out across the hills as they approach a suspected al qaeda hideout.<br />