Security forces launched a joint operation late on Friday against militants in Basti Saur in Tumman Lund, a tribal area in Dera Ghazi Khan. PHOTO: FILE
Security forces launched a joint operation late on Friday against militants in Basti Saur in Tumman Lund, a tribal area in Dera Ghazi Khan.
“Militant hideouts have been destroyed and a search operation launched at the entrances of tribal areas along Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border,” Border Military Police (BMP) Commandant Shahid Mehboob told The Express Tribune.
He said officials from the Punjab Police, Elite Force and Baloch Levies also took part in the operation. “We took the action on reports that some militants have taken shelter in Basti Saur in view of Operation Zarb-i-Azb,” Mehboob said.
He said a large contingent of security officials had cordoned off the area on receiving reports that several militants, including Irfan Khosa and Usman Khosa, were at their dera in Basti Saur.
Mehboob said Irfan and Usman had received militant training in Afghanistan and had been declared proclaimed offenders. He said security officials had to march through a rocky terrain to reach the militant hideouts.
“Many of these shelters have been destroyed. The offensive continued until late at night,” the commandant said. He said the operation would continue until all militants were arrested.
The search operation was stopped late on Saturday. Mehboob said it would resume on Sunday (today) morning. He said a BMP check post had been established in the area cleared by the security forces. He said he had ordered pickets be set up at the exits and entrances to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to check militants’ movement.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2015.
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