Islamabad: The Pakistani military on Tuesday
claimed to have wrested the Taliban stronghold of Sararogha in
South Waziristan, where 21 militants and a soldier were killed
in fierce clashes over the past 24 hours.
Soldiers had "commenced the sanitisation of Sararogha"
and several improvised explosive devices had been neutralised,
the military said.
Sixteen militants and a soldier were killed in clashes
around Sararogha, where the army believes the main
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan leaders are holed up.
A soldier was injured in a mine blast and two suspects
were captured in the same area, the military said.
Five militants were killed in clashes around the
militant stronghold of Kaniguram, which was recently captured
by troops.
After securing Kaniguram, troops had launched search
and clearance operations in nearby areas.
Security forces also took hold of adjoining heights
though they continued to be targeted by the militants.
The Taliban fired six rockets at Kaniguram but there
were no reports of casualties.
Troops advancing from Razmak in North Waziristan to
the militant base of Makeen secured several areas held by the
Taliban, including China village and Mian Nur Khel.
The militants targeted troops in check posts near
Razmak with small arms and rockets though there were no
reports of casualties, the military said.
The Taliban, however, has denied that the military had
won a series of victories in the stepped up offensive in the
tribal region as they claimed the militants are drawing the
troops into a trap.
Meanwhile, a soldier was injured while neutralizing an
IED planted near a bridge in this region.
Pakistan has mobilised over 30,000 soldiers to flush
out an estimated 10,000 Taliban militants and foreign fighters
from South Waziristan.
The military says over 340 militants and about 36
soldiers have died so far in fighting though the figures
cannot be independently verified as journalists have no access
to the conflict zone.
Troops also continued search and clearance operations
in the northwestern Swat valley, where 21 suspects were
captured from different areas.
Ten militants also surrendered to security forces in
this region.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rehman Malik today said
there was no need to respond to US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton’s remark that Pakistan had given no evidence of
India’s alleged interference in the country.
He was responding to a point of order raised by
opposition PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal in the National Assembly
or lower house of parliament.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, November 03, 2009, 20:20