| DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Troops on Friday combed the mountains in the tribal stronghold of Baitullah Mehsud, blamed by Islamabad and Washington for the killing of Benazir Bhutto. The army said it had fired artillery and mortar rounds targeting militant hideouts from which troops had come under fire overnight in South Waziristan. “A house-to-house search operation is underway in the areas where the security forces have consolidated their positions,” chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said. No loss of life was reported. The fighting has forced hundreds of families to leave the area and there is a severe shortage of essential supplies, residents said. |