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Tactical Pilotage Chart showing Wana
Wana (Urdu: وانا) is the capital town of South Waziristan in Pakistan's FATA (Federally Administrated Tribal Area).
During the British Empire period, beginning in the late 19th century, the British established a cantonment on the Wana Plain which was used as a headquarters by the British forces in South Wazirstan until they departed India after the partition in 1947. During their rule, the ferocious Pushtun tribes of Waziristan - part of the Karlanri Tribal Confederation - gave the British much heartache. In fact, the British, aka the feranghi, had to deal with a full fledged insurgency in Waziristan in the 1930s. At one point during the 30s, the British had up to 18,000 troops in and around Waziristan, with Wana being used as the forward headquarters and airbase.
It is currently in the eye of a storm because of the embedded presence of foreigners who have affiliated themselves with the Taliban-aligned Ahmadzai Waziris of the Wana Plain and others in the area. The Pakistan Armed forces have conducted armed operations against these Al-Qaeda members since August 2003 off and on with limited success.
Inhabitants of Wana are Muslim Pushtuns, mainly consisting of the Wazir tribe. The sub-khel is Ahmadzai. Also in South Waziristan Agency are members of the Mahsud, Bhittani, Kuchi and Burki tribes who live in the surroundings of Wana. These tribes have strong cultural and blood relations with Afghan tribes across the border.
South Waziristan's borders on the west with the Afghan provinces of Paktika and Zabul.
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