PHOTO: NEWS247
ISLAMABAD: In air strikes conducted in North Waziristan's Shawal area by security forces Friday, 17 suspected militants, including foreigners were killed while three hideouts were destroyed.
The strikes came two days after the massacre of 45 Ismaili Muslims in Karachi claimed by the Taliban's Jundullah faction which has previously reportedly allied itself to Islamic State.
Read: Zarb-e-Azb may extend to Balochistan to fight insurgents: sources
The air force jets targeted militants' hideouts on the edge of the Afghan border in the Wareka Mandi area of Shawal district in North Waziristan, 65 kilometres west of Miranshah.
"The air force jets pounded the areas close to the Afghan border in thick forests and killed at least 17 militants. Three compounds and five vehicles were also destroyed in the action," a security official in Miranshah told AFP.
The official said that the killed militants included Uzbek and Afghan nationals and members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Two local residents confirmed the attack to AFP.
Senior military officials based in Peshawar said they were not in a position to confirm the exact death toll but confirmed that the strikes happened in the area.
Read: Regional peace: Xi calls Zarb-e-Azb a 'game changer'
The region is remote and off-limits to journalists, making it difficult to verify the number and identity of those killed.
As per the ongoing operations Zarb-e-Azb and Khyber-I search operations are carried out frequently in attempts to eradicate terrorism from the country.
Just last month, sources alleged that Operation Zarb-e-Azb might expand to Balochistan to fight Baloch insurgents.
COMMENTS (6)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ