According to a Pentagon official, Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is still in Pakistan. “We have no information to indicate that he is anywhere else than in Pakistan,” Pentagon spokesman George Little said on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, the Al Qaeda leader who took over control of the terrorist group after Osama bin Laden was killed, released a video claiming credit for the current Arab Uprisings. In a 62 minute long message titled “The Dawn of Imminent Victory,” Zawahiri said “The popular revolutions are a form of defeat for the United States” and he hoped for “a gloomy, bitter cold American Winter.”

The video also contained footage of Osama bin Laden before his death.

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A “full-fledged” military operation has been launched in the Pakistani tribal area of central Kurram against militants on Sunday, according to sources, and large numbers of local residents have started to flee the area. The sources also said that soldiers were dropped in Zaimukhet and Manato from helicopters and paramilitary forces, with the support of air force, had been carrying out a joint offensive in the valley. Central Kurram is located alongside Tora Bora, believed to be the hub of Al Qaida in Afghanistan. Thousands of security personnel are reportedly taking part in the offensive.

Lieutenant General Asif Yasin Malik had announced last Wednesday that Pakistani military will soon conduct a military operation against extremists in Kurram tribal region. He added the attempt is to deprive Taliban of one of their major safe havens on the Pak-Afghan border. But he made it clear that the military would not launch an operation in North Waziristan any time soon, saying the forces were too busy combating militants elsewhere. Pakistani military has been criticized heavily in the US, particularly after Osama bin Laden’s death in Pakistan on May 6th, for not doing much against militants on its soil.

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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday urged Pakistan to take “decisive action” against militants based on its soil. Clinton and US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Adm. Mike Mullen held meetings with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, Army Chief Gen Ashfaque Pervez Kiyani and ISI Chief Lt. Gen. Shuja Pasha during an unannounced visit to Islamabad. Tensions between Pakistan and America are high after the US raid that killed Bin Laden on May 2nd. The US officials assured Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership of America’s support in an attempt to fix strained ties.

Media reports also indicate US has a given a list of 5 most wanted terrorists to Pakistan and has asked to provide intelligence on these individuals as they are believed to be hiding in the country.

The list includes the names of Ayman al Zawahiri, Siraj Haqqani of the Haqqani network, head of the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami and suspected al-Qaida leader Ilyas Kashmiri, and al-Qaida operations chief Atiya Abdel Rahman.

US is threatening an Osama style unilateral operation against these individuals if Pakistan fails to act. On the other hand, Pakistan is attempting to convince US on the benefit of joint operation against any high value target. Meanwhile Pakistan has warned if there are any more unilateral raids, Pakistan would review its relations with the US and would disallow the use of NATO supply line for Afghanistan. Pakistan has already reduced the number of US forces in the country from 200 to 300 and has closed three intelligence fusion centers.

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