Wāṇa or Wanna ( ps, واڼه, ''Wāṇə'' ; ur, ) is the largest town of
South Waziristan District in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the northwestern region of the country, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ...
province of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. It is the summer headquarters for the Agency's administration,
Tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful ...
located in the neighbouring
Tank District
Tank District ( ps, ټانک ولسوالۍ, ur, '; skr, ') is a district in Dera Ismail Khan Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The city of Tank is the capital of the district, which consists of Union Council City I and U ...
of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the northwestern region of the country, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ...
province being the winter headquarters.
Wanna is also one of the three subdivisions of South Waziristan, along with
Ladha and
Sarwakai
Serwekai ( ps, سروکۍ) is a town, tehsil, and subdivision of South Waziristan in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Serwekai is one of the three subdivisions of South Waziristan, along with Ladha and Wanna. The subdivision o ...
. The subdivision of Wanna is further divided into three tehsils: Wanna, Barmal, and Toi Khwla.
History
Colonial history
During the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
period, beginning in the late 19th century, the
British established a cantonment on the Wanna Plain which was used as a headquarters by the British forces in South Waziristan until they departed
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
after the
partition in 1947. During their rule, the ferocious
Pashtun tribes
The Pashtun tribes ( ps, پښتانه قبايل), historically also known as Afghan tribes, are the tribes of the Pashtun people, a large Eastern Iranian ethnic group who use the Pashto language and follow Pashtunwali code of conduct. They a ...
of
Waziristan
Waziristan (Pashto and ur, , "land of the Wazir") is a mountainous region covering the former FATA agencies of North Waziristan and South Waziristan which are now districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Waziristan covers some . ...
- part of the
Karlanri Tribal Confederation - gave the British much headache. In fact, the British, known then as the 'foreigners' , had to deal with a full-fledged insurgency in Waziristan in the 1930s. At one point during the 1930s, the British had up to 18,000 troops in and around Waziristan, with Wanna being used as the forward headquarters and airbase.
Post-Independence
During 1989 the city underwent a striking increase in
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. ...
with
Azam Warsak
Azam Warsak is a village located in Birmal Tehsil, which is located approximately 20 kilometers west of Wanna.
See also
* Datta Khel
* Kaniguram
* Jandola
Jandola ( ps, ) is the main town of Tank Subdivision (formerly known as "Fronti ...
suffering the most.
Wanna in the War on Terror
It is currently in the eye of a storm because of the embedded presence of another set of foreigners (Al-Qaeda) who have affiliated themselves with the
Taliban
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
-aligned Ahmadzai
Waziris of the Wanna Plain and others in the area . The Pakistan Armed forces have conducted armed operations against these
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countr ...
members since August 2003 off and on with limited success. Perhaps the town's most violent incident in the
War on Terror
The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...
was the
Battle of Wanna
The Battle of Wanna was a March 2004 military engagement between the Pakistan Army and members of Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda at Azam Warsak, near the South Waziristan town of Wanna. The army troops and intelligence paramilitary soldiers face ...
which took place in March 2004 and included fighters from the
Pakistani Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...
against Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces. More than 100 armed personnel were killed during the week of the fighting.
Ethnic background of inhabitants
Inhabitants of Wanna are Muslim
Pashtuns
Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically r ...
, primarily Ahmedzai Waziris from the Wazir tribe. Also in
South Waziristan
South Waziristan District ( ps, سويلي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) was a district in Dera Ismail Khan Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before splitting in to Lower South Waziristan District and Upper South Waziristan District and ...
Agency are some members of the
Mahsud
The Mahsud or Mehsood ( ps, محسود), also spelled Maseed ( ps, ماسيد), is a Karlani Pashtun tribe inhabiting mostly the South Waziristan Agency in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan, now merged within Khy ...
and
Bettani
The Bettani ( ps, بېټني), also spelled Baittani or Bhittani, is a Pashtun tribe located mostly in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Bettani are named after ''Shaykh Beṭ'', their legendary ancestor who is said to be the second son of Qais Abd ...
tribes who live in the surroundings of Wanna.
Notable people
*
Ali Wazir
Muhammad Ali Wazir (Pashto/Urdu: ) is a Pakistani Pashtun politician who is the co-founder of a human rights movement, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). He has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since August 2018. During his studen ...
*
Arif Wazir
References
External links
Waziristan and Mughal empireNehru in WaziristanSketch map of WaziristanMehsuds and Wazirs, the King-makers in a game of thronesLawrence of Arabia in Waziristan
{{EB1911 poster, Wana
Populated places in South Waziristan
Waziristan