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| India-Pakistan |
| Military kills 35 insurgents in Bajaur |
| 2008-10-25 |
| The security forces on Thursday killed 35 more militants and injured several others in overnight and daylong bombing by warplanes and gunship helicopters and shelling by artillery on militants' hideouts in various parts of the restive Bajaur Agency. Military officials told The News that the security forces continued targeting the suspected hideouts of militants in different parts of the troubled tribal region. The officials said 12 militants were killed and several others injured during air strikes and artillery shelling on militants' positions in the Mamond Tehsil late Wednesday night. Later in the day, they said the PAF jet fighters and the Pakistan Army gunship helicopters heavily pounded militants' suspected hideouts in Damadola, Badano, Chingai and Barkandey villages of the Mamond subdivision, Mulla Said Banda in Salarzai Tehsil and Charmang, Chinar, Kohi, Babra and Hashim areas of Nawagai Tehsil, 40 kilometres from the agency headquarters Khar. The military officials said the total death toll in the daylong military campaign had mounted to 35. Moreover, officials said the security forces had taken control of the Loisam area, a stronghold of the militants. They said large contingents of the law-enforcement agencies had been deployed in and around Loisam and had blocked the main supply line to the militants. The troops were also reported to be establishing roadside checkpoints and bunkers around Loisam on the main Peshawar-Bajaur road. Backed by gunship helicopters, tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APCs), the troops started advancing towards Tangi and Lowi Jore areas, 22 kilometres southwest of Khar. The military authorities said several underground bunkers of the militants had been destroyed and a huge cache of arms and ammunition seized during the search operation. They said the security forces were no longer facing stiff resistance in the areas, which were earlier said to be militants' strongholds. Hasbanullah Khan, a senior tribal journalist based in Khar, said the political administration, in pursuit of the militants and illegal Afghan refugees, on Thursday launched a search operation in Siddiqabad, Tauheedabad, Bilalabad, Serai, Nawa Kallay, Rehmanabad and other adjoining areas. Officials of the political administration said besides arresting several suspects, they demolished the house of a militant commander in Siddiqabad during the operation. The administration also imposed curfew during the search operation. Meanwhile, volunteers of the Salarzai Lashkar in their drive against the militants torched several houses owned by Taliban and their supporters. Residents of Badano village complained that militants had long ago left their positions in Mamond but the security forces were still bombing the villages by warplanes and choppers, flattening dozens of houses in the area. |
| Posted by:Fred |