engage in a heavy and bloody gun battle occurred wherein infantry troops had repeatedly beaten the assaults after assaults. After days of fighting, the infantry troops gained control of key positions in the mountains which al-Qaeda had previously held. Sporadic fighting continued as the infantry units began to pursue the al-Qaeda foreign fighters. Soon, all the strategic mountain posts were evacuated by the al-Qaeda fighters as the infantry troops had reached the top of the mountains. By dawn, the infantry troops with the help of 20th Mountain Brigade had taken control of the mountains. In a last attempt to regain their territory, al-Qaeda fighters planned another assault against the army at night which continued until dawn. The army troops and paramilitary officers then counter-attacked, and the battle soon slipped to adjacent mountains as the al-Qaida foreign fighters began to escape. Both sides sustained casualties, and the next morning al-Qaeda fighters began abandoning their positions and retreating from the area. As requested by the theater commander, additional army infantry, combat engineering and Mountain troops were rushed to help the remaining fighting troops. The battle ended soon after as reinforcements arrived and took their positions. With the arrival of the additional mountain troops, the army intensified its search for remaining al-Qaeda fighters. A week later, the Pakistan Army captured the entire mountainous area along with hundreds of al-Qaeda fighters. Aftermath Tunnels were discovered at the site of the battle that led into Afghanistan, possibly the Tora Bora region. The military consolidated its position in the area. On 20 March 2004, the ISI's CAD and Military Intelligence, and a unit of troops reportedly saw a mysterious "foreigner" fleeing the siege, the Military Intelligence theorized that it may have been Ayman al-Zawahiri, since Uzbek militant Tohir Yuldashev had earlier escaped to Afghanistan while injured in a battle. By 23 March 23, 2004, the last fortified area was taken over by the army troops after a week of combat. Later, the 20th Mountain Brigade of Army took control of the mountains and set up posts. The Army also sent its investigators from "M.I. Directorate for High Value Target Acquisition". The Army incurred casualties consisting of 17 soldiers killed, 33 wounded, and 11 captured (all of whom were released on March 28, 2004); the military intelligence inflicted on al-Qaeda losses of 55 fighters killed (majority being Uzbeks and Chechens) and 149 captured. The Battle of Wanna