Islamabad/Peshawar: Pakistani troops
captured 19 militants during operations in the northwestern
Swat valley and South Waziristan tribal region, authorities
said on Tuesday.
Seventeen militants were apprehended by troops during
search operations in different parts of Swat, the military
said.
The security forces also recovered a cache of arms and
ammunition while four militants surrendered at Shahdand Banda
and Bara Banda.
In South Waziristan, a cache of arms and ammunition was
seized and two suspects were captured when security forces
cleared several areas in Jandola sector.
Troops also sanitised several areas and consolidated
their positions in Shakai sector.
During a search operation in Razmak sector, soldiers
found and destroyed 37 militant-held compounds and two
tunnels.
Militants attacked security forces with rockets near
Spinkai Narai in Razmak sector though there were no reports of
casualties.
The troops retaliated against the attack, the military
said.
Meanwhile, the federal government has sought the help of
tribal elders for flushing out militants from Kurram tribal
region.
The militants have occupied hilltops in the area and
could easily target the public and security forces from these
positions, officials said.
According to a rough estimate, over 800 militants linked
to different banned groups have taken refuge atop hills in
Arghnija Pati area in central Kurram Agency.
The militants are armed with weapons like missiles.
Officials of the local political administration went to
upper Kurram Agency and held talks with tribal elders on steps
to counter the threat from militants.
The elders said they would extend support and assistance
to the government for taking action against the rebels.
The elders said they had been telling the government for
quite some time about the presence of a large number of
militants in Kurram Agency and demanding military action to
flush them out.
The sectarian unrest in Kurram has been fomented by the
militants, they said.
The elders also demanded air strikes on militant
positions in the mountains in central Kurram.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 20:32