10 militants killed in Orakzai operation

Security forces head towards Mamuzai area for first time since military offensive.

PESHAWAR: Army helicopters targeted militant hideouts in the Upper Orakzai Agency on Saturday and killed 10 militants, reportedly clearing the Dabori area in the tribal belt.

Official sources said that security forces had headed towards the Mamuzai area for the first time since a military offensive had been launched against militants.

The sources added that the militants tried to escape the area in order to avoid being targeted.

“We targeted their hideouts with the help of army helicopters. For now, we are targeting them with aerial shelling and later ground forces will follow,” said officials. “The militants are trying to escape but we are chasing them and wont let them escape.”

Earlier in 2010, Corps Commander Lieutenant General Asif Yaseen Malik, during his visit to the agency, had said that more than 80% of the area had been cleared, including Dabori and Mamuzai areas.

Security forces have killed more than 100 militants in the ongoing operations, where five security personnel, including an official, were killed in different clashes with militants.