Zarb-e-Azb: 20 suspected militants killed in air raid

Four hideouts destroyed by jet fighters in Shawal Valley.

ISLAMABAD:

Another 20 suspected terrorists were killed in the Shawal Valley in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) on Wednesday when fighter jets pounded their hideouts.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), four isolated terrorist hideouts were destroyed in Shawal. The dead include both local and foreign militants, the statement said.

The military’s media wing added that clearance of Mirali was progressing smoothly after security forces took complete control of North Waziristan’s administrative town, Miramshah.

“A local ammunition manufacturing factory has been recovered. Huge cache of arms and ammo, scores of IEDs and foreign currency were also recovered from Mirali Bazaar,” said the military’s spokesperson.

Technical disposal and clearance of recovered improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and explosives in Miramshah was underway. Six IED factories in Miramshah have been cleared by army engineers so far.

On the other hand, 142,866 ration packs and 20,000 special Eid gift packages – which include clothes for ladies and toys and sports items for children – have been distributed among IDPs so far. Distribution of more Eid gift packages is in progress, the ISPR statement concluded.

The federal government, meanwhile, reiterated its full commitment to extend all humanitarian assistance to the IDPs.

Citing official data, Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Lt-Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch said that while the government has successfully completed registration for payment of stipends to IDPs, the record of 37,922 families has been rejected by NADRA due to various reasons. He said the rejected families would be further verified to identify genuine IDP families.

The minister said very respectable people are displaced and added that the entire nation will have to stand by the IDPs in this hour of trial. He said more relief distribution points would be established in Bannu.

The government has established two relief distribution points at Sports Complex Bannu, two points at Government College Mamash Khel, one point at Teacher Training Institute Ghoria Wala and one at Durrani College, Bannu. Two distribution points have also been established at DI Khan and one at Lakki Marwat.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2014.