Battle of Wanna

Battle of Wanna
Part of the War in North-West Pakistan
Military Intelligence map: The area involved in the fighting.
Date March 16 – March 23, 2004 (7 days) Location Wanna, South Waziristan, Federally Administrated Tribal Areas, Pakistan Result Pakistani indecisive victory Capture of area by Pakistan Armed Forces Pakistan consolidates grip with the launch of Operation Rah-e-Nijat
Belligerents
State of Pakistan  Pakistan Army	al-Qaeda
Commanders and leaders
LGen Ali Jan Aurakzai	Nek Muhammad † Ayman al-Zawahiri Tohir Yuldoshev (WIA)
Units involved
9th Infantry Division 4th Cobra Squadron 20th Mountain Brigade 4–8 F-7, F-16 jets of PAF	Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
Strength
~7,000 ~50 members of ISI CAD	400 Al-Qaeda fighters
Casualties and losses
49 soldiers killed, 11 soldiers captured, 33 soldiers wounded	55 Al-Qaida fighters killed, 150 fighters captured
15 civilians killed

Pakistani indecisive victory

State of Pakistan

The Battle of Wanna was a March 2004 military engagement between the Pakistan Army and members of Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda at Azam Warsak, near the South Waziristan town of Wanna. The army troops and intelligence paramilitary soldiers faced an estimated ~500 al-Qaeda foreign fighters holed up in several fortified settlements, the fighting ended with 49 mountain troop soldiers dead.

It was speculated at the time that Osama bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri was among those trapped by the Pakistan Army, but he either escaped or was never among these fighters. After weeks of fighting, the ISPR admitted that it was actually Tohir Yoldeshev, leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, who was hiding there.

Wanna (Pashto: واڼۀ‎, pronounced [ˈwɑɳə]) is a small town inhabitant by the Mehsud and Wazir Tribes. The town is situated in complex series of White mountains range in western Pakistan. The town closely aligned with Tora Bora area of adjacent country, Afghanistan.

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