ISLAMABAD, July 2: Pakistan has about 70,000 security forces personnel deployed along its tribal belt bordering Afghanistan and Iran in the country’s biggest ever military operation to support the US-led hot pursuit of Al Qaeda and Taliban fugitives.

Both regular and second line security forces are taking part in the operation, well-placed defence sources told Dawn on Tuesday.

These forces have established around 70 posts in the no-go-areas to seal to the maximum possible the porous border.

Of the total forces positioned along the Durand line, 8,000 come from the regular armed forces, comprising two brigades, Special Services Group commandos, and personnel of the army engineering corps.

The number (8000) equals all the coalition troops put together in Afghanistan by the United States and its partners in the global war against terrorism.

The second line forces include 55 wings of the Frontier Corps of which 33 are deployed in the NWFP and 23 in Balochistan. Each FC wing comprises around 600 people.

Civil and military sources told Dawn that 17 American operatives were also present in the area, providing technical intelligence support to the Pakistani authorities. These Americans are well-versed in Pushto, Darri and other local dialects, they added.

Sources said the Pakistani security agencies had “allowed” the US personnel to stay within their hearing during the search operations and raids.

Informed sources said that in view of the tribal sensitivities the US security agencies had been told by the Pakistani authorities to dispatch Americans who could pass as locals. “Hence, blacks, blondes and six footers were ruled out.”

All operations conducted inside the Pakistani territory are planned and coordinated by the GHQ with CENTCOM, the US central command. A technical monitoring cell has been set up at the Joint Staff Headquarters in Chaklala for the purpose, Dawn learnt through well-placed official sources. Headed by an American brigadier, this cell provides daily updates with new targets backed by aerial maps and sketches, sources said.