MIRAMSHAH, Oct 7: Fierce clashes broke out between security forces and militants in Mirali and Miramshah in the North Waziristan tribal region on Sunday and both sides suffered heavy casualties, officials and residents said.
Local people reached on phone in the troubled region said that air strikes and extensive use of fire-power by Cobra helicopters had left scores of non-combatants dead and wounded in the village of Hasu Khel.
Official sources said that at least 45 militants and 20 soldiers were killed in an attack on a military convoy and gunbattles in Hasu Khel, Milgan and Khati villages of the Mirali tehsil. Scores of others were wounded on both sides.
(According to a Reuters report, 65 militants were killed in the clashes.)
The ISPR in a statement posted on its website, however, put the casualty figure on the military side at 20. The statement said that “30 miscreants were killed and 20 others wounded”.
ISPR spokesman Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad was not available for comments despite repeated attempts.
A spokesman for the militants, Ahmadullah Ahmadi, told a correspondent of Dawn in the tribal region that they were fully prepared to face the onslaught and things would be cleared by Monday. He denied ISPR’s claim of killing 30 militants in the clashes.
The militants’ spokesman had warned on Saturday that they would step up attacks on the troops and government installation if security forces were not pulled out from checkposts.
Clashes also erupted on Sunday night in Miramshah, the agency headquarters and continued till the filing of this report. It was said that militants had launched attacks on security forces in the area and a heavy exchange of fire was going on.
An elder of Hasu Khel told Dawn by phone that 25 bodies, including of women and children had been retrieved from the debris of about 50 houses destroyed by air strikes and artillery shellings. He said that over 70 people had been wounded in the attack.
“Three jet planes and four helicopters dropped bombs and rockets on the village housing over 18,000 people causing widespread damage,” he said, adding that security forces had blocked roads and did not allow people to shift the wounded to hospitals.
“Artillery fire is still going on and people could not retrieve the dead and the wounded from the debris.”
He said the village had no health facility to treat the wounded.
Residents said that jet fighters and Cobra helicopters pounded suspected positions in the Hasu Khel village. They said that two jet fighters of the Pakistan Air Force dropped at least 12 bombs on Hasu Khel and the area reverberated with loud explosions. The air strike on the village, considered one of the hubs of foreign militants, was carried out late in the evening. Residents have already vacated homes and moved to other places. The sources said that officials had cautioned residents to vacate their homes.
The Cadet College in Razmak has been closed for an indefinite period due to tensions in the region.
Local people said three women and a child were also killed and seven wounded when residential compounds came under attack in Milagan village. Indiscriminate shellings damaged houses in Milagan, Khaisur and Khushali Turikhel villages of the Mirali tehsil.
Fresh hostilities started in the troubled region when militants opened fire on security forces near Jaller Post. Soldiers came under fire when they were removing a vehicle which had been attacked on Saturday last.
According to reports, six troops were killed on the spot and another wounded in the hit-and-run attack. Hours later, security forces besieged Mirali bazaar and ordered shopkeepers to close their shops.
The road between Miramshah and Bannu was closed. Troops fired heavy artillery from their bases in Miramshah, Mirali and Jaller Post and targeted Milagan village.
The sources said a military convoy was ambushed near Hasu Khel village and several soldiers were killed. Army vehicles were also destroyed in the attack.
Troops retaliated and according to unconfirmed reports, 25 personnel and militants were killed.
