Counter-insurgency: Tirah Valley shelling kills 13 militants

Security officials said two warplanes bombed five compounds of TTP, killing a TTP commander in the attack.

BARA:

At least 13 militants belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed and seven injured when Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets pounded militant compounds in the Dwatoi village of Tirah Valley, Bara sub-division, Khyber Agency, on Wednesday.

Security officials said two warplanes bombed five compounds of TTP’s Tariq Afridi group in the morning. A TTP commander was killed in the attack, according to reports received by the security forces.

Earlier this month, clashes erupted between TTP militants and the Koki Khel peace militia in the Dwatoi area after the militia tried to recapture some checkpoints on mountains from the militants. Subsequently, 10 militants were killed and eight wounded in an earlier PAF attack on their hideouts.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2012.