Air blitz kills eight militants in upper Orakzai

Four FC soldiers injured in North Waziristan; rockets fired at Wana bazaar.

HANGU:

At least eight militants were killed when warplanes pounded suspected hideouts of Taliban insurgents in Upper Orakzai on Sunday.

A security forces’ official claimed that three hideouts of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were destroyed in raids in Tambo Sar, Mir Kalam Khel and Lando Qamar areas of Mamozai, killing eight militants.

This was the 10th raid on the TTP in the region since the beginning of 2013. Around 84 suspected militants have been killed and over 28 hideouts destroyed in these attacks, the official said.

Reports indicate that six militants were killed on Feb 14, 15 on Feb 9, 10 on Feb 8, 15 on Feb 7 and eight on Feb 6. In bombings carried out last month, 10 militants were killed on Jan 31, eight were killed on Jan 30, 12 on Jan 29, while eight militants were reportedly killed on Jan 28.

Orakzai was TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud’s base of operations before he moved to South Waziristan after his predecessor Baitullah Mehsud was killed.



Unlike the other six tribal agencies, Orakzai does not share a border with Afghanistan. Spread over an area of 700 square miles, the agency shares its borders with Kurram Agency, Khyber Agency, Hangu and Darra Adamkhel. Most of the agency was believed to be a safe haven for local and foreign militants until 2010.

IED blast in North Waziristan

Four Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were injured in a roadside bomb blast in Razmak subdivision of North Waziristan Agency on Sunday.

An official of the security forces said around noon four FC personnel on foot patrol were scanning the Sarobi area for IEDs when a low intensity IED exploded and injured them.

The official added that soon after the incident security forces rushed to the site and launched a search operation while two gunships were scrambled.



The injured were taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Bannu. In a subsequent search operation, security forces defused another roadside IED in the area, the official added.

The North Waziristan political administration has imposed curfew in Miramshah, Mir Ali and Razmak subdivisions since 5:00am. Local tribesmen were informed through announcement from loudspeakers to remain indoors and avoid coming on main routes.

Mortar shells land near Wana market

Suspected militants fired two mortar shells towards Wana Rustham Bazaar, the main town of South Waziristan Agency that landed outside the market place causing no loss of life or property, an official of the political administration told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2013.