13 militants killed in pre-dawn strikes
Huge cache of arms and explosives recovered in operation.
ISLAMABAD:
Fighter jets pounded the sanctuaries of militants in North Waziristan Agency in the early hours of Saturday, killing at least 13 terrorists, destroying seven hideouts and seizing a huge cache of arms and ammunition.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), most of the terrorists killed in the strikes were foreigners. “Two explosives-laden vehicles were destroyed in the air strike at Degan,” it said.
The armed forces, during consolidation of cleared area in Miramshah and Miramshah-Dattakhel Road, also recovered a huge cache of arms and explosives – including six motorcycle-borne IEDs, and two vehicle borne IEDs, three vehicles, eleven suicide jackets and guns in Khar Warsak and Zartangi areas.
The handout said terrorists fired rockets on a security forces check post in Mirali from inside Mirali town. “Three terrorists, including one Uzbek, were also apprehended from Boya area. Two suicide bombers were identified and chased who exploded themselves when they were encircled close to Boya,” the ISPR said.
Also engaged in relief operations, the army distributed more than 96,533 ration packs each of 110kg among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Bannu, DI Khan, Tank and Peshawar.
“More than 1,012 tons of rations have been collected so far at 59 relief collection points established by Pakistan Army throughout the country, the bulk of which has been transported to Bannu,” it said.
The ISPR handout said army doctors, ‘specially moved to reinforce local medical effort at Bannu’, had so far treated more than 12,587 patients at the Field Medical Hospital established at Khalifa Gul Nawaz hospital Bannu.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was informed on Saturday that 28,846 families of the IDPs had been issued sums of cash and the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) had so far distributed Rs346.152 million.
A statement, issued by the prime minister office, said the IDPs would be provided further financial assistance only through SIM cards only. “So far 27,767 SIMs have been distributed and more than 15,000 SIMS have been activated,” it said.
According to a report submitted to the PM, all federal institutions –Safron, Pakistan Army, NDMA, FDMA, NADRA, Wapda – were coordinating ‘effectively for better IDP’s management’.
The statement said the IDPs were being provided all necessary facilities at registration and facilitation points.
It said that initially, the site of the camp was selected at Kashoo Bridge on Bannu-Indus Highway Link Road at a distance of 15km from Bannu City. However, on the insistence of LEAs, the site was shifted to Bakakhel near Baran Dam and the FDMA had taken over the development work.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2014.
Fighter jets pounded the sanctuaries of militants in North Waziristan Agency in the early hours of Saturday, killing at least 13 terrorists, destroying seven hideouts and seizing a huge cache of arms and ammunition.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), most of the terrorists killed in the strikes were foreigners. “Two explosives-laden vehicles were destroyed in the air strike at Degan,” it said.
The armed forces, during consolidation of cleared area in Miramshah and Miramshah-Dattakhel Road, also recovered a huge cache of arms and explosives – including six motorcycle-borne IEDs, and two vehicle borne IEDs, three vehicles, eleven suicide jackets and guns in Khar Warsak and Zartangi areas.
The handout said terrorists fired rockets on a security forces check post in Mirali from inside Mirali town. “Three terrorists, including one Uzbek, were also apprehended from Boya area. Two suicide bombers were identified and chased who exploded themselves when they were encircled close to Boya,” the ISPR said.
Also engaged in relief operations, the army distributed more than 96,533 ration packs each of 110kg among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Bannu, DI Khan, Tank and Peshawar.
“More than 1,012 tons of rations have been collected so far at 59 relief collection points established by Pakistan Army throughout the country, the bulk of which has been transported to Bannu,” it said.
The ISPR handout said army doctors, ‘specially moved to reinforce local medical effort at Bannu’, had so far treated more than 12,587 patients at the Field Medical Hospital established at Khalifa Gul Nawaz hospital Bannu.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was informed on Saturday that 28,846 families of the IDPs had been issued sums of cash and the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) had so far distributed Rs346.152 million.
A statement, issued by the prime minister office, said the IDPs would be provided further financial assistance only through SIM cards only. “So far 27,767 SIMs have been distributed and more than 15,000 SIMS have been activated,” it said.
According to a report submitted to the PM, all federal institutions –Safron, Pakistan Army, NDMA, FDMA, NADRA, Wapda – were coordinating ‘effectively for better IDP’s management’.
The statement said the IDPs were being provided all necessary facilities at registration and facilitation points.
It said that initially, the site of the camp was selected at Kashoo Bridge on Bannu-Indus Highway Link Road at a distance of 15km from Bannu City. However, on the insistence of LEAs, the site was shifted to Bakakhel near Baran Dam and the FDMA had taken over the development work.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2014.