. ▁ ▁The ▁army ▁surrounded ▁the ▁mountain ▁red ou bt ▁where ▁al - Q a eda ▁foreign ▁f igh ters ▁were ▁well ▁d ug - in . ▁The ▁C AD ▁and ▁SS D ▁teams ▁were ▁task ed ▁with ▁finding ▁the ▁high - value ▁target ▁during ▁the ▁armed ▁conflict ▁and ▁that ▁high - value ▁target ▁was ▁reported ly ▁wounded ▁in ▁the ▁battle . ▁He avy ▁fighting ▁en su ed , ▁and ▁repeated ▁assault s ▁were ▁be aten ▁back ▁by ▁al - Q a eda ▁f igh ters . ▁The ▁Pakistan ▁Army ▁forces ▁suffered ▁heavy ▁cas ual ties . ▁ ▁As ▁troops ▁pushed ▁into ▁the ▁mountains , ▁the ▁al - Q a eda ▁f igh ters ▁launched ▁ag gress ive ▁attacks ▁on ▁Pak ist ani ▁troops ▁as ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁foreign ▁f igh ters ▁began ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁fight . ▁The ▁al - Q a eda ▁f igh ters ▁had ▁set ▁up ▁their ▁main ▁strateg ic ▁posts ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁mountains ▁allowing ▁them ▁to ▁observe ▁the ▁movements ▁of ▁the ▁Pakistan ▁Army ▁inf antry ▁and ▁mount aine ering ▁troops . ▁The ▁troops ▁called ▁for ▁air ▁strik es ▁which ▁were ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁P AF ▁F - 1 6 s ▁and ▁the ▁army ▁av iation ▁corps , ▁target ing ▁the ▁sus pected ▁posts ▁and ▁hidden ▁positions ▁of ▁al - Q a eda . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁air ▁strik es , ▁the ▁inf antry ▁troops ▁red ouble d ▁their ▁efforts ▁to ▁gain ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁mountains . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁ 1 8 ▁March