▁between ▁the ▁Pakistan ▁Army ▁and ▁members ▁of ▁Os ama ▁Bin ▁L aden ' s ▁al - Q a eda ▁at ▁Az am ▁Wars ak , ▁near ▁the ▁South ▁W az ir istan ▁town ▁of ▁W anna . ▁The ▁army ▁troops ▁and ▁intelligence ▁par amil it ary ▁soldiers ▁faced ▁an ▁estimated ▁~ 5 0 0 ▁al - Q a eda ▁foreign ▁f igh ters ▁ho led ▁up ▁in ▁several ▁fort ified ▁settlement s , ▁the ▁fighting ▁ended ▁with ▁ 1 7 ▁soldiers ▁dead . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁spec ulated ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁that ▁Os ama ▁bin ▁L aden ' s ▁deput y ▁A yman ▁al - Z aw ah iri ▁was ▁among ▁those ▁tra pped ▁by ▁the ▁Pakistan ▁Army , ▁but ▁he ▁either ▁escaped ▁or ▁was ▁never ▁among ▁these ▁f igh ters . ▁After ▁weeks ▁of ▁fighting , ▁the ▁I SP R ▁admitted ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁actually ▁T oh ir ▁Y old es he v , ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁Mov ement ▁of ▁U z bek istan , ▁who ▁was ▁hiding ▁there . ▁ ▁Background ▁W anna ▁() ▁is ▁a ▁small ▁town ▁inhab it ant ▁by ▁the ▁Me hs ud ▁and ▁W az ir ▁Trib es . ▁The ▁town ▁is ▁situated ▁in ▁complex ▁series ▁of ▁White ▁mountains ▁range ▁in ▁western ▁Pakistan . ▁The ▁town ▁closely ▁aligned ▁with ▁T ora ▁B ora ▁area ▁of ▁adjacent ▁country , ▁Afghan istan . ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁months ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁Pakistan ▁Army ▁sent ▁and ▁deployed ▁large ▁formation ▁of ▁Infantry ▁and ▁Mount aine ering