Islamabad/Peshawar: Targeting a top al Qaeda
commander, a US drone on Friday fired missiles at a hideout in
Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region killing eight
militants, most of them foreigners, even as a bomb packed with
steel pellets left at least three policemen dead in Peshawar.
Islamabad/Peshawar: Thirteen militants
and a soldier were killed in violence during operations by
Pakistani security forces in the restive tribal belt while
eight rebels died in a US drone attack in North Waziristan,
authorities said on Friday.
Security forces gunned down eight militants and
injured several others while repulsing an attack on a check
post in Gandhao area of Khyber tribal region, the Frontier
Corps said.
A soldier was killed and two more were injured when
militants targeted them with an improvised explosive device in
the same region, officials said.
Troops cordoned off the area
after the blast and arrested seven suspects.
In South Waziristan, five militants were killed and a
soldier was injured in a skirmish near the former Taliban
stronghold of Kaniguram, the military said. The exchange of
fire erupted after militants attacked soldiers with small arms
and rockets.
Soldiers conducted "area domination" operations and
strengthened their positions around the former militant bases
of Sararogha and Kaniguram. Three militant compounds were
destroyed during a clearance operation at Yarga Khel and
Lalejai.
Earlier in the day, eight militants were killed and five injured when a US drone struck a compound in Macchikhel
area near Mirali, a key town in North Waziristan Agency. The
drone fired two missiles at the compound.
It was second such attack in the region in three days.
The Pakistani military says nearly 565 militants and
more than 60 soldiers have died so far in fighting in South
Waziristan though these figures cannot be independently
verified as reporters have no access to the conflict zone.
The army mobilised over 30,000 troops last month for
Operation Rah-e-Nijat (Path to Salvation), which is aimed at
flushing out an estimated 10,000 Taliban and foreign fighters
from South Waziristan.
Security forces also continued search and clearance
operations in the northwestern Swat valley, where six suspects
were apprehended while three militants surrendered to
authorities.
President Asif Ali Zardari today said the military
action in the tribal areas is "essential to wipe out terrorism
and militancy". He, however, emphasised that it was not the
permanent solution.
During a meeting in the presidency, Zardari said
military action must be followed by an aggressive development
programme to bring about a "visible change in the
socio-economic conditions of the people".
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, November 20, 2009, 22:04