Security operation: 10 dead in attack on militant hideouts

Hit comes a year after military raids Orakzai agency.

PESHAWAR:

Gunship helicopters on Saturday pounded militant hideouts in the Taliban stronghold of Mamozai, Upper Orakzai Agency, killing at least 10 militants and obliterating at least three of their hideouts.

The attack on Mamozai area of the Upper Orakzai Tehsil – the last remaining militant stronghold in the region – came a year and half after the military made its foray into the agency. Security forces had launched their advance some five days ago in the Dabori areas of Upper Orakzai and its surrounding region.

Sources said that the gunship helicopters targeted Addu Khel, Mir Kalam Khel, Jaaba and Samma Bazaar localities of the Mamozai area, killing at least 10 militants and destroying three of their hideouts.

Security sources also claimed to have captured four strategic militant hideouts in the Akhund Kot area of Mamozai after a battle with militants and also claimed to have recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from these hideouts.

Meanwhile, locals said that a large number of tribesmen were leaving their homes in search of safer places to avoid being caught in the crossfire — many of whom arrived in the southern Hangu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Saeed Khan, a Mamozai local who arrived in Hangu, said that gunship helicopters pounded militant hideouts in the Arghanju, Mir Kalam Khel, Addukhel, Akhundzadagan Killay and Jabba areas of Mamozai for around four hours.

Khan said that a large number of locals were leaving their homes for safer places and finding it hard to walk over the difficult mountainous terrain due to the closure of roads.

Mamozai area is one of the remotest areas of the Upper Orakzai Agency and is situated some 62 kilometres west of Upper Tehsil headquarters Ghalju and shares borders with Kurram and Khyber Agencies.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2011.