Zarb-i-Azb: 232 militants killed, 20 hideouts destroyed

At least 232 militants were killed while 20 militant hideouts have been destroyed in North Waziristan during the Zarb-i-Azb military operation till date, DawnNews reported on Friday.

Eight security personnel have been killed so far, while seven others were injured during the operation.

Two major terrorist communication centers located on the hills and a bomb-making factory were destroyed.

According to military sources, the operation is ongoing in Miramshah and Mir Ali and militants’ attempts to escape have ben foiled. According to ISPR, troops have cordoned off all areas in North Waziristan to foil attempts by terrorists to flee the tribal agency.

It is expected that the operation will see greater on-ground action in the upcoming days.

The army launched its long-awaited major operation 'Zarb-i-Azb' in the tribal region a week after an attack on the airport in Karachi, deploying troops, tanks and jets to the area in the crackdown on the Taliban and other militants.

The number of registered displaced families has reached 7,031 comprising over 100,000 people. Today is the last day for locals to evacuate the area.

Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadur announced on Thursday to launch a ‘defensive war’ from Friday. His spokesman Ahamdullah Ahmadi told Dawn on phone from an unspecified place that the Shura North Waziristan Agency had never been part of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He said the purpose of the ‘defensive war’ was to avoid losses. He said the Shura had not allowed the TTP to use the soil of North Waziristan for its activities.