Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Pakistan - At least 25 militants killed in air strikes near Afghan border

At least 25 militants were killed in air strikes in the tribal regions near the Afghan border on Wednesday as part of a major offensive against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other insurgents.
The strikes took place in the Sanzila area of South Waziristan and Tirah in Khyber, ISPR said in a statement.
“In precise aerial strikes, 25 terrorists were killed and seven hideouts were destroyed,” the statement added.
The conflict zone is off-limits to journalists, so there is no way to independently verify the number and identity of those killed.
Tirah is part of Pakistan’s restive Khyber tribal region where a number of air strikes have been launched against militant hideouts in recent months.
The Pakistan Army has been targeting TTP and Lashkar-i-Islam militants in the region since October 2014.
The military launched Operation Zarb-i-Azb, a long-awaited push to clear insurgent bases from North Waziristan, last June after a bloody TTP attack on Karachi airport finally sank faltering peace talks.
Air strikes, artillery, mortars and ground troops have all been used to take back territory.
The semi-autonomous tribal areas on the Afghan border have for years been a hideout for militants of all stripes, including Al-Qaeda and the TTP as well as foreign fighters such as Uzbeks and Uighurs.

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