PESHAWAR: Warplanes bombed suspected hideouts in Shawal area of North Waziristan on Sunday, killing 28 militants.

The Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement that six targets had been destroyed in the air strikes carried out near the Afghan border.

It said local and foreign militants were among the dead, but the claim could not be verified from independent sources because journalists had no access to the area.

Some reports suggest that because of Shawal’s rugged terrain and areas with dense forests militants had moved there before the Zarb-i-Azb operation was launched.

Two Khasadars die in Jamrud attack

The army claimed that 35 militants had been killed in the area on Friday.

AFP adds: Jets and artillery began hitting rebel targets in North Waziristan in mid-June to try to regain full control of the tribal agency and ground forces moved in on June 30.

The assault by the military was launched after a dramatic attack by militants on Karachi airport which killed dozens of people and marked the end of a faltering peace process with the Taliban.

More than 400 militants and 25 soldiers have been killed in the operation so far, according to the military.

There have been fears that many top militants escaped, including fighters of the Haqqani network which is blamed for numerous bloody attacks in Afghanistan.

More than 900,000 people have left North Waziristan, with most ending up in the nearby town of Bannu.

Our Correspondent in Landi Kotal adds: Two personnel of Khasadar force were killed in an attack in Jamrud on Sunday, officials said.

Havaldar Wahab Khan and Sepoy Mohammad Rehman were on duty at a checkpost on Charmaro road near Shah Kas when gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire at them and fled. The security men belonging to the Qambar Khel tribe of Bara died on the spot.

Soon after the attack, security forces launched a search in the area for the attackers, but no arrest was made till late night.

A similar incident took place on Friday night when a convoy of security forces was ambushed in Ghundi area of Jamrud and eight soldiers were killed.

A house-to-house search operation continued in the area on Sunday. Ghundi, Pump House, Bakarabad and Nehr Khula areas are still under curfew and residents have been asked through mosque loudspeakers to stay indoors.

On Saturday evening, security personnel detained a local journalist, Wajid Afridi, and his cousin for violating the curfew and took them away for interrogation.

People are facing hardship because of the curfew and are unable to buy essential items for Iftar and Sehr.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2014