Battle of Wanna

Not to be confused with Battle of Wanat.
Battle of Wanna
Part of the Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Military Intelligence map: The area involved in the fighting.
DateMarch 16 – March 23, 2004 (7 days)
Location
Wanna, South Waziristan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan
Result

Pakistani victory[1][2][3][4][5]

Belligerents
Pakistan Pakistan al-Qaeda
Pakistani Taliban
Commanders and leaders
Lt.Gen Ali Jan Aurakzai

Ayman al-Zawahiri

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]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Dawn March 19, 2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dawn News, 20 March 2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b "Hits On Qaeda Compounds Continue". CBS News. Retrieved 20 March 2004.
  9. ^ "Action Update: March 15–28, 2004". Cdi.org. 2004-03-31. Archived from the original on 2012-12-28. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dawn Newspapers March 16 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Top Al Qaeda leader hurt, hiding in Wana: ISPR". ISPR. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  12. ^ "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.