PHOTO: AFP
Inter Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Asim Bajwa said on Saturday evening that forces had inflicted heavy casualties on militants as the army follows up its series of aerial strikes to clear the area close to the Afghan border.
Read: Jets pound militant targets in Tirah, 35 dead
He added that the operation has dislodged militants from bases, forcing them to flee across the border into Afghanistan.
Maj Gen Bajwa said that as seven soldiers had also been killed in the fighting.
“Operations will continue with full force till total terrorist elimination from these areas,” he added.
Ops #Z-e-A:Khyber-2 to clear areas further ahead,close to Pak-Afgn Border makes steady progress.Hvy losses incurred to terrorists-1/3
— Gen(R) Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) March 21, 2015
ops #Z-e-A:In Khyber terrorists being dislodged from bases,fleeing to border.So far 80 terrorists killed,appx 100 injured in this phase-2/3
— Gen(R) Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) March 21, 2015
Ops #Z-e-A:7 sldrs embraced Shahadat valiantly,Ops will continue with full force till total terrorist elimination from these areas-3/3
— Gen(R) Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) March 21, 2015
Jets pound militant hideouts in Tirah, kill seven militants
At least seven suspected militants were killed and ten others were injured when jet planes bombed their hideouts in Nary Baba, Mazatal and its surrounding areas in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency on Saturday.
Local sources in the area said that jets struck several militant hideouts in the mountainous areas, destroying them.
The latest bombing was part of the second phase of Khyber operation, Khyber-II. It was started several days ago, in which the forces were targeting militants including the Mangal Bagh-led Laskhar-e-Islam, the TTP and others hiding in the valley.
All three tehsils of Khyber Agency including Landi Kotal, Jamrud and Bara, where militants are believed to have taken up refuge, are in the cross-hairs of the military.
Operation Khyber-I, which was conducted in Bara and adjacent areas, has ended, and IDPs are being repatriated to cleared areas.
Chasing a 'high value target'?
Prior to the announcement by the military, there were rumours of a massive clash in Tirah, with some speculating that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Mullah Fazlullah had been caught in the midst of the fighting.
https://twitter.com/asadmunir38/status/579256889814360065
https://twitter.com/asadmunir38/status/579260385397624832
@asadmunir38 @abbasnasir59 @kursed @YousafMalik41 Its true. Electronic int confirms it. Human int has yet to. 70 soldiers wounded
— Khalid Munir (@Khalid_Munir) March 21, 2015
@Khalid_Munir @abbasnasir59 @asadmunir38 Heavily defended ridge indicates presence of some high-value target like #MullahRadio
— Hussain Saqib🇵🇰 (@hsaqib17) March 21, 2015
https://twitter.com/KiloUniform1/status/579314488505024512
However, the army did not confirm that any 'high value target' had been hit.
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