File Photo. Aamir Qureshi—AFP
Operation Zarb-e-Azb continues, with Army claiming it has killed over 1,000 militants since it started in June.
Pakistan’s military said on Wednesday it killed 40 insurgents and destroyed five of their hideouts in fresh air attacks as part of an ongoing offensive against the Taliban.
A military statement said that “in precise aerial strikes” five hideouts and ammunition dumps were destroyed and 40 insurgents including foreigners were killed in the villages of Nawe Kili and Zaram Asar, north of Datta Khel in North Waziristan. The conflict zone is off-limits to journalists, so there is no way to independently verify the number and identity of those killed.
Airstrikes, artillery, mortars and ground troops have all been used to retake territory in North Waziristan, which had become a haven for fighters with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant outfits.
The Army says it has killed more than 1,000 militants and lost 86 soldiers since the start of Operation Zarb-e-Azb on June 15. The operation was prompted by a militant attack on Karachi’s international airport that left 36 dead and was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban.
Separately, police in Peshawar claimed they had arrested two members of the TTP. A police officer told Newsweek via phone that both men, Vilayat Khan and Misri Khan, had been wanted for attacks on local peace force volunteers.