Over 60 militants killed in NW Pakistan
Over 60 militants killed in NW Pakistan
Over 60 militants were killed during a series of intelligence-based operations in 36 hours in two districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan, security officials said Wednesday.
Ten militants were killed and 16 injured in multiple intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Bannu district on Wednesday while 52 militants, including four key commanders, were killed in other IBOs launched since Tuesday morning in North Waziristan district.
The forces maintained continuous surveillance of the suspected locations before carrying out targeted strikes in the operations in North Waziristan district against the Fitna al-Khawarij operatives.
Fitna al-Khawarij is a term that the state uses for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Quadcopters were used to identify militants hiding beneath trees that enabled forces to precisely target them, the security officials said.
Several wounded militants attempting to flee the area were also targeted during the operations, they said, adding, four key commanders of Fitna al-Khawarij were among those killed.
Several militant hideouts were destroyed during the operations, while a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and other military equipment was also recovered, security forces said in a statement here.
In the IBOs in the Bannu district launched earlier on Wednesday, drones were used to target militants hiding at different locations.
The operations come amid heightened security activity in Bannu, where security forces had on Tuesday killed two militants in an IBO near Adnan Cricket Stadium in the Jani Khel area.
According to the police, the militants had allegedly been using an Islamic seminary as a hideout.
The premises were evacuated before the operation to ensure the safety of civilians, following which security forces targeted militants inside after coming under fire, the police said.
In Bannu district too, several hideouts were destroyed and a large quantity of weapons and ammunition were recovered during the operations, police said adding, search and clearance operations were later carried out in the area.
Security officials have reiterated that operations against militants will continue without interruption until terrorism is completely eliminated from the area.