MIRAMSHAH, April 6: A government spokesman said on Thursday that Wednesday’s clashes in Shawal and Datakhel areas of the troubled North Waziristan agency had left as many as 43 militants and three personnel of the law-enforcement agencies dead.
Sources said two children and a woman had been injured while several houses were damaged after security forces had started shelling in response to militants’ attack near Miramshah on Wednesday night.
Troops resorted to heavy artillery shelling when suspected militants fired two rockets on paramilitary forces in Miramshah on Thursday night. An official said the rockets had fallen short of the intended target.
After the attack, soldiers started heavy firing that continued for over an hour, according to eyewitnesses.
Locals said artillery shells had hit several residential compounds in Tolkhel, Qutabkhel and Chashma villages near Miramshah.
They said the shelling had seriously injured two children and a woman in Tolkhel village, who had been shifted to a hospital in Miramshah. A patrol pump was also damaged in the attack.
Security forces brought nine bodies of the militants to Miramshah on Thursday and put them in the lawn of the committee office. An official said mutilated bodies had been retrieved after clashes with militants in Shawal valley.
Angry residents of the Tolkhel village, who also came under heavy artillery action, blocked the Miramshah-Mirali road for two hours to protest against indiscriminate action of the security forces.
Three major tribes in the agency, Ahmadzai Wazir, Dawar and Utmanzai have announced to observe Friday as black day against the military action and killing of innocent people.
In a statement issued in Peshawar on Thursday, the spokesman for the NWFP Governor’s Secretariat Fata said 19 militants had been arrested in the operation. They belong to different areas of the South and North Waziristan Agencies.
The arrested militants told investigators that they had come from Qalandar area of tehsil Ladha South Waziristan Agency in three trucks and two pick-ups. Reportedly, Sangeen Zadran, Moulvi Halim Khushali, Sanaullah Mehsud and Badsha Gul Mehsud led 150 militants.
Online adds: Power supply was suspended in three areas of Miramshah after rockets were fired and electricity line feeders destroyed by some unknown criminals on Thursday.
According to a BBC report, unidentified people had fired several rockets at Miramshah area of South Waziristan that destroyed three power feeders. No loss of life was reported.
Electricity supply to three areas concerned remained suspended till the filing of this report.
