Air strikes kill Uzbek militants in Pakistan offensive
Soldier dies in IED explosion
Islamabad: Scores of militants, mostly Uzbeks, were killed when Pakistani air force jets pounded their hideouts Saturday in the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan, according to a military statement.
The jets struck targets in Miranshah, the main town of the region and nearby village of Boya after troops on the ground faced “fire and resistance” from inside the areas.
The air strikes were launched to “flush out terrorists,” said the statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations based in the garrison city of Rawalpindi near Islamabad.
“Five terrorists hideouts, caves and huge cache of arms and ammunition were destroyed and (a) score of terrorists killed in early morning strikes, silencing the firer. Most of the terrorists killed in strikes are Uzbeks,” the statement said.
One soldier died when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded during clearance operation this morning, the statement said.
Military sources said IEDs had been extensively laid by militants and troops were engaged in clearing streets and houses.
Since the launch of the military operation in North Waziritan on June 15 to dismantle sanctuaries of local and foreign militants, around 400 terrorists have been killed so far according to militarry figures. Around 20 soldiers have been killed by militants.
The government and the military have not given any timeframe for completion of the operation termed by both as war of survival of the country.
The operation has displaced well over a half a million tribal people for whom camps have been set up In Bannu district and other places in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Last month Pakistan’s military launched a long-awaited offensive in North Waziristan, aimed at wiping out longstanding militant strongholds in the area, which borders Afghanistan.
Jets and artillery began hitting militant targets on June 15 to try to regain full control of the district after years of pressure from Washington and other powers.
