Restive frontiers: 12 militants killed in air raids, clash

Four soldiers also died in bomb and gun attacks

HANGU/ BARA: At least 12 militants and four security personnel were killed in air raids and clashes in the restive tribal regions on Saturday.

Helicopter gunships bombed hideouts of terrorists in the strategic Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency where militants of all hues have ganged up to fight against security forces. Residents said several bases of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Islam extremist group and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan were decimated in the air blitz.

In neighbouring Orakzai Agency, a soldier was killed and three were injured when suspected militants ambushed their convoy in the Kasha area. Six attackers were killed in retaliatory action.

According to officials, the convoy was en route to Hangu district from the Ghaljo area of Upper Orakzai Agency when it was ambushed near the Oat Maila area in Kasha. Lance Naik Muhammad Yasin was killed on the spot while his three colleagues were injured. They were shifted to the CMH in Kohat.

In other violence, two soldiers were killed in a bomb blast near a checkpoint in the Sarwakai sub-division of South Waziristan Agency. No one claimed responsibility for the blast in the War Ghera area which has not been declared safe for repatriation of displaced tribesmen.

Meanwhile, a Levies officer was killed in a sniper attack in the Bar Khalozai area, about 10 kilometres north of the agency’s headquarters Khar. The administration confirmed the Bajaur Levies officer, Tayyab Khan, was playing cricket in a ground when he was shot by a sniper, who fled taking advantage of the large gathering.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2015.