PESHAWAR, Nov 9: Eight militants and four troops were killed during the operation Rahi-i-Nijat in South Waziristan, officials said on Monday.

An attack late on Sunday night left four troops dead in Makin, one of the battlefields, where troops are pressing the offensive against the Taliban network into a fourth week.

Military officials said initially that the soldiers died in an improvised explosive device attack – of the type deployed by the Taliban to such deadly effect against US and Nato troops across the border in Afghanistan.

But the Inter-Service Public Relations later issued a statement saying militants fired rockets at a check-post, killing the four soldiers and wounding one other.

Eight militants were killed, the statement said.

On Jandola-Sararogha axis, troops consolidated their positions.

Search and clearance operations were conduced at Bangal Khel, Totai Langar Khel and Kaniguram on Shakai-Kaniguram axis and a hideout of terrorist commander Mumtaz Burki was demolished.

On Razmak- Makin axis, troops cleared Tauda China Khola and established a check-post near Makin.

During operation Rah-i-Rast in Swat and Malakand, two terrorists were arrested in Batkhela Bazaar and Usmanabad near Mingora. One terrorist surrendered at Charbagh.

The military says around 480 militants and 46 soldiers have been killed since the Waziristan offensive began, but security officials and analysts say that many militants have simply fled rather than staying to fight.—Agencies
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