WANA, June 7: Around 4,000 tribal volunteers launched a search operation on Monday for netting suspected foreign militants in the troubled South Waziristan region, eyewitnesses said.

The lashkar carried out house-to-house searches in the rugged Shakai area , inhabited by three sub-tribes of the main Ahmadzai Wazir tribe - Khuniakhel, Shudiaki and Spirkai.

The self-declared chief of the lashkar 'Commander Allagai' said that despite extensive searches, the lashkar did not found any foreigner in Shakai, some 17 kilometres West of Wana.

"There will be no pause in the search operation and armed volunteers will look for suspected elements in the entire area," he said. He announced that volunteers would remain for the night in Shakai. Observers here are of the view that foreign militants might have moved to other places before the launching of the search operation.

Shakai is considered to be one of the main areas providing shelter to foreign militants in the South Waziristan region, where security forces have already taken positions to launch a fresh operation.

Officials said that 'Commander Allagai' would present a report to the authorities concerned in Wana on Tuesday. Administrator South Waziristan region Asmatullah Gandapur told Dawn here that the government was closely monitoring the operation of the tribal lashkar in Shakai.

"If the tribesmen convince us that foreign militants have moved from their area assure us that they will not be given shelter again, the government will not take military action against the tribe," he said.

However, Mr Gandapur said, the administration would not lift economic blockade imposed on the Ahmadzai tribe. The sanctions, he added, would continue for an indefinite period.