Military claims huge success in Khyber operation

Strongholds of terrorists captured after intense fighting, leaving 27 militants dead

ISLAMABAD: Five months into the military operation in the troubled spots of the Khyber tribal region, the military claimed a ‘huge success’ on Thursday after ‘intense fighting’ that left 27 terrorists dead.

The operation was launched in mid-October last year following reports that some militants had fled the ongoing military offensive in North Waziristan Agency, codenamed Zarb-e-Azb, to seek shelter in the strategic Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency.



The valley, which shares borders with the tribal agencies of Khurram and Orakzai and also with the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, had become a stronghold of the banned extremist outfit Lashkar-e-Islam, led by its elusive chief Mangal Bagh Afridi. Bagh later announced the merger of his group with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

On Thursday night, the military’s media wing, the ISPR, claimed that security forces have achieved a ‘huge success’ in the operation.

“Marking a huge success in Operation Khyber 2, security forces have captured the terrorists’ strongholds of Sandapal, Tordara, Kundwala and Mehrban Killay in Khyber Agency,” the ISPR said in a statement.



“During the last 24 hours intense fighting took place [in which] 27 terrorists were killed, while five soldiers, including an officer Captain Ajmal, embraced shahadat (martyrdom),” it added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2015.