The latest figures from Pakistani officials say that nine soldiers and 80 militants have been killed in the current offensive to drive Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters out of South Waziristan.

Up to 100,000 civilians have fled the fighting according to army sources.

The Pakistani army has constructed five temporary bases near the border with Afghanistan in an effort to cut of the Taliban’s main stronghold in the mountainous region.

The offensive comes just days after a spate of attacks by militants in Lahore and the north-western province that left more than 140 security personnel and civilians dead. The attacks brought the fight to the very heart of Pakistan’s security forces, a direct challenge to the planned offensive.

As the push continues, US Central command chief David Petraeus has arrived in Islamabad for talks with Pakistani military officials.

Deputy Director of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies in Delhi, Suba Chandran, explained to Radio Netherlands Worldwide why the South Waziristan region holds such a strong lure for militants.

Inward looking mindset
According to Mr Chandran, the nature of the region makes it the perfect place for the Taliban to use as a base because there is no precedent.

“Unlike the other tribal agencies, they [the Wazirs and the Mashouds] have not been interacting formally with the rest of Pakistan or the rest of the international community. Waziristan has always been inward looking…this gives ample opportunity to an organisation like the Taliban to move in and stay there.”

The same applies to Al-Qaeda, says Mr Chandran, especially those elements coming from Uzbekistan or Chechnya, who make similar use of these tribes' lack of exposure.

Losing battle
He says it is down to international organisations to increase their funding and reach these tribes, otherwise the militants will continue to operate from the region for the next few years, or even decades.

Ultimately, Mr Chandran is pessimistic about the offensive, saying that history has shown that whoever is trying to suppress militants in the region faces a losing battle.

“Historically no army has ever subdued Waziristan. None of these [regional] tribes fight to the finish. There is always a time when the security forces win in this context, or the tribal groups will try to win an understanding. That understanding will be broken within the next month. You may win the battle but you will never win the war.”

Listen to the Newsline interview with Suba Chandran