Troops 'closing in on Bin Laden's deputy'

Thousands of Pakistani army reinforcements were joining a major offensive today in tribal border villages where al-Qaida’s Number 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, is believed surrounded.

Afghanistan authorities reported the arrests of “semi-senior” terrorist leaders on their side of the border.

Townspeople said heavy guns fired through the night and jet fighters were in the area, as fighting spread today to two more villages in South Waziristan, where Pakistani paramilitary forces began an operation against al-Qaida and Taliban fugitives four days ago.

Helicopter gunships fired rockets at houses in Shin Warsak, five miles southwest of the main town of Wana, said the villagers, who streamed out of the besieged region in pickup trucks loaded with families and possessions.

Residents reported seeing scores of army trucks, carrying troops and weapons, including light artillery and heavy machine-guns, and some armoured vehicles.

Army troops took up positions on rooftops of private homes to provide security for the convoy of troops moving from Wana to the target areas.

Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf said a “high value” target was believed trapped, and three senior Pakistani officials said that intelligence indicated it was al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden’s deputy.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai said US and Afghan troops have captured “semi-senior” terrorist leaders along the border with Pakistan, as they tightened security along the rugged frontier.

Presidential spokesman Jawed Ludin said it was unclear if those detained had fled the battle in Pakistan, and declined to give any details of who might be in custody.

“Some of the arrests have included semi-senior leadership within the terrorist elements on the Afghan side, possibly with strong links to al-Qaida,” he said in Kabul.

Villagers around Wana reported a lull in the fighting today, amid reports that tribal elders were attempting to mediate with local authorities and establish a cease-fire.

Pakistani forces have battled with hundreds of militants in at least five villages near Wana, pounding fortress-like mud-brick compounds. An intelligence official said “dozens” were killed yesterday.

At least 41 people – 15 soldiers and 26 suspected militants – were killed earlier this week in fighting in the area.

The semi-autonomous tribal region, which has resisted outside control for centuries, has long been considered a likely hiding place for the top two al-Qaida leaders – but there was no indication bin Laden was with the Egyptian-born al-Zawahri.

However, the two have travelled together in the past, and bin Laden and al-Zawahri appeared jointly in video tapes released shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.

The United States has offered a $25m (€20m) reward for information leading to al-Zawahri’s capture.

Yesterday, the US House of Representatives doubled the reward for bin Laden’s capture to $50m (€40m).

“We have been receiving intelligence and information from our agents who are working in the tribal areas that al-Zawahri could be among the people hiding there,” a Pakistani military official said. “All of our efforts are to capture him.”

Musharraf told CNN that he had spoken with the commander of Pakistani troops in the region. He said the commander reported “fierce resistance” from a group of fighters entrenched in fortress-like buildings, and that there were indications a senior figure was surrounded.

“He’s reasonably sure there’s a high-value target there,” Musharraf said. “They are not coming out in spite of the fact that we pounded them with artillery.”

Al-Zawahri, a 52-year-old former Egyptian surgeon, is believed to be the brains behind the terror network, with bin Laden serving more as spiritual leader and financial backer. He is also thought to have served as the al-Qaida leader’s personal physician.

He has often been seen at bin Laden’s side in videos released to Arab television networks.

Brigadier Mahmood Shah, the chief of security in Pakistan’s tribal areas, estimated that between 300 and 500 al-Qaida fugitives and supporters were in the area. He said the suspects were using light and heavy weapons.