Tirah air blitz kills seven terrorists

Security officials believe there are some areas near the Afghan border still used by militants from across the border

PESHAWAR: Fresh air raids in a strategic valley of Khyber Agency has killed at least seven suspected terrorists on Monday.

Fighter jets pounded the hideouts of militants in the Kokihel area of Tirah Valley, a senior official said. “Three hideouts were decimated in the air strikes carried out on Monday morning,” he said.

Sources added that the dead militants were affiliated with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The military has cleansed the erstwhile militant-infested valley in two operations, codenamed Khyber-I and Khyber-II. On August 16 however, the army mounted another offensive, Khyber-III, to target terrorists holed up in the area beyond Tirah Valley, right on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Security officials believe there are some areas near the Afghan border which are still used by militants from across the border. Terrorist hideouts have been targeted in air raids and ground operations during the past two-months. The raids have yielded huge caches of arms and ammunitions.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2016.