Back Bitva o Wana Czech Bataille de Wana French Վանայի ճակատամարտ Armenian ワナの戦い Japanese وانا دی لڑائی PNB Взятие Ваны Russian Bitka o mesto Wana Slovak وانا کی لڑائی Urdu
| Battle of Wanna | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | |||||||
 Military Intelligence map: The area involved in the fighting. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Pakistan |
 al-Qaeda Pakistani Taliban | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Lt.Gen Ali Jan Aurakzai |
Osama bin Laden Tohir Yuldoshev (WIA) Nek Muhammad † Noor Wali Mehsud | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
~7,000[6] ~50 members of ISI CAD[6] | 400 Al-Qaeda fighters[7] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
17 soldiers killed,[8] 11 soldiers captured, 33 soldiers wounded |
55 Al-Qaida fighters killed,[9] 150 fighters captured | ||||||
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.[10] 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 17 soldiers dead.[8]
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.[11][12]
- ^ Fair, C. Christine. “Militant Recruitment in Pakistan: Implications for Al Qaeda and Other Organizations.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, vol. 27, no. 6, 2004, pp. 489–504, doi:10.1080/10576100490483750. This journal article analyzes militant recruitment in Pakistan and briefly mentions the 2004 Battle of Wanna as a victory for Pakistani forces.
- ^ Javaid, Umbreen, and Musarat Javed. “Pakistan’s Fight against Terrorism.” Defense & Security Analysis, vol. 32, no. 1, 2016, pp. 51–66, doi:10.1080/14751798.2015.1127155.
- ^ Khan, Ikramul Haq. “The Assertion of the Pakistan Army’s Autonomy During the War on Terror.” Journal of Strategic Studies, vol. 41, no. 1-2, 2018, pp. 35–59, doi:10.1080/01402390.2016.1235019. This journal article analyzes the Pakistan Army's operations after 9/11, referencing their victory in the 2004 Wanna battle.
- ^ Rashid, Ahmed. Descent into Chaos: The U.S. and the Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. Viking, 2008, pp. 67-68. This book briefly discusses the 2004 Battle of Wanna as part of Pakistan's counterterrorism operations under Pervez Musharraf.
- ^ Tellis, Ashley J. “U.S. Strategy: Assisting Pakistan’s Transformation.” Washington Quarterly, vol. 28, no. 1, 2004, pp. 97–116, doi:10.1162/016366004773069454. This journal article reviews U.S.-Pakistan relations in 2004 and mentions the Wanna battle.
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
Dawn March 19, 2004was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Dawn News, 20 March 2004was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Hits On Qaeda Compounds Continue". CBS News. Retrieved 20 March 2004.
- ^ "Action Update: March 15–28, 2004". Cdi.org. 2004-03-31. Archived from the original on 2012-12-28. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Dawn Newspapers March 16was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Top Al Qaeda leader hurt, hiding in Wana: ISPR". ISPR. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ "Uzbek Militancy in Pakistan's Tribal Region" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War. 27 January 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 2014-10-16.