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Military campaign in N Waziristan: Search starts after âmysterious endâ to resistance
 PESHAWAR: Security forces began a search for suspected militants, weapons and ammunitions in the Khatai Kallay village of North Waziristan at around midday on Saturday after a âmysterious endâ to resistance, a military spokesman and tribal sources said. âThe search operation has started and is continuing in Khatay Kallay and there is no resistance (from militants),â Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan, the director general of the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), told Daily Times. Residents of Miranshah reported that âGuns have fallen silent after two days of heavy clashes between militants and hundreds of regular troopsâ.The end to resistance was followed by a âstern warningâ early on Saturday morning by the army that preparations to launch a âdecisive military operationâ against militants were complete. It called on civilians to leave their homes for their own safety. However, sources said that the Khatai Kallay had already been vacated by civilians, and the militants had also âdisappearedâ between Friday and Saturday after heavy artillery shelling. âThe village is empty and troops have moved in for the search operation,â sources said. Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Safdar Hussain met top commanders in Miranshah to discuss the plans of the operations. A tribal journalist in Miranshah said that the militants had agreed to an unconditional search operation by the security forces. Posted by: Fred 2005-10-02 |
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