Turf war: 15 militants killed in Orakzai Agency

TTP spokesperson rebutted claims by security officials.

HANGU:

Fifteen militants were killed on Thursday while several of their hideouts were destroyed in recent jet pounding by security forces in the troubled Orakzai Agency, according to security personnel in the area.

At around 2pm, two Pakistani fighter planes pounded five hideouts of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Mamozai of upper Orakzai agency, destroying their ammunition depot and two vehicles while killing 15 TTP militants.

“The number of casualties can exceed this figure, however, this is the confirmed number,” the official said.

Militant hideouts in the mountainous region of Ayaar, Ashraf Masi, Durrani Masi, Khalaan and Satar Sok were attacked, the official added.

However, talking to the media from an undisclosed location, TTP spokesperson in Orakzai, Hafiz Saeed, rebutted claims made by security officials, saying that the militants vacated the trenches when they spotted the planes, and that none of the faction’s fighters were killed in the attack.

It was the sixth attack on the militants in the agency since the beginning of the year. On Wednesday, eight militants were killed in an attack in the agency.

According to security officials, in the last five raids this year, 46 militants have been killed while more than 15 hideouts have been destroyed. The number of militants wounded, however, could not be ascertained because soon after the bombings, the injured are moved to undisclosed locations.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2013.