There have been several tense standoffs at the border of NWFP and SWFP in Pakistan, as Mehsud Taliban block the road and commerce from Waziristan to the north. The Wazir tribes, also Taliban, are holding soldiers hostage, while the Mehsuds are attacking the government as well.
It’s hard to keep the players straight, but there does appear to be a rift along tribal lines in the Taliban, although both factions are against the army and the Government of Pakistan. More at the Daily Times.
Residents of Jandola, entry point of South Waziristan, said the Wana-Tank highway was blocked after Mehsud militants stopped traffic to and from Wana. This, they said, may lead to a conflict between the Mehsud and Wazir tribes. Truckloads of tomatoes and apples of the Wazir tribesmen in Wana waited for a long time for security clearance for upcountry transportation as the Mehsud militants blocked the Wana-Tank highway. The highway was later opened for traffic in the afternoon.
Earlier, Wazir elders said they feared a “full-scale war between the Mehsuds and Wazirs if the highway remained blocked and attacks on security forces in Wazir areas by Mehsud militants continued. Maj Gen Arshad said the government would not let the two tribes go to war.
