WANA, Jan 13: Army troops and paramilitary forces picked up three Uzbek women and an Afghan man here on Sunday during an operation against the Al Qaeda and Taliban suspects, official sources said.

Three helicopters also took part in the opertaion.

Witnesses said the law enforcement agencies laid a siege to some pockets in Yar Gulkhel near Wana, the South Waziristan Agency headquarters, early in the morning, which ended at 4pm.

They said the security forces searched many houses in Nargoosi, Karabagh and Sera Ghora villages, and arrested the women and the Afghan, Jangali, who was in possession of an Indian passport.

An official told Dawn that 200 army troops, South Waziristan Agency scouts and Khassadar force were taking part in the operation.

But the official said that the Uzbek women were relea-sed after preliminary investigations.