Airstrikes in North Waziristan kill 18 suspected militants

Published December 4, 2014
A Pakistan Air Force F16 fighter jet. — AFP/File
A Pakistan Air Force F16 fighter jet. — AFP/File

PESHAWAR: At least 18 suspected militants were killed on Thursday during air strikes conducted by Pakistan Air Force fighter jets in the Dattakhel Tehsil of North Waziristan Agency.

Official sources told Dawn that at least 18 suspected militants were killed after jets targetted their positions in the restive agency's Madakhel area.

However, this information could not be independently verified as journalists have limited access to the war-torn region.

A day ago, military sources had said that 15 suspected militants, including two key commanders from the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), were killed in precision airstrikes.

Today's strikes were part of the military operation which is currently being carried out by the army in the tribal areas of North Waziristan and Khyber tribal regions, targeting local and foreign insurgents.

Pakistan's semi-autonomous areas have long been a hideout for militants of all stripes — including TTP, Al Qaeda and other foreign fighters.

Jets and artillery began targeting rebel strongholds in North Waziristan in mid-June and ground forces moved in to the region on June 30. The army says it has killed more than 1,100 militants and lost more than 100 soldiers since Zarb-i-Azb, the military operation in North Waziristan, began.

Opinion

Editorial

Throttling connectivity
Updated 15 Aug, 2024

Throttling connectivity

Now the authorities seem to have decided that WhatsApp has replaced X as the new staging ground for dissent and are tightening the noose.
Targeting TTP
15 Aug, 2024

Targeting TTP

Is slapping on a new label on a hard-core terrorist outfit the right strategy, especially when the label is also imbued with religious meaning?
Transgender justice
15 Aug, 2024

Transgender justice

Our policymakers still see this community as a slur, making political commitment to justice for transgender people a distant dream.
Rebuilding a dream
Updated 14 Aug, 2024

Rebuilding a dream

"True" independence — and not in the sense of a political slogan — can only be achieved when Pakistan’s children are assured of a better tomorrow.
A general’s arrest
14 Aug, 2024

A general’s arrest

A PAKISTAN Army general who had once seemed all-powerful has been arrested by his own institution for a list of...
No exceptions
14 Aug, 2024

No exceptions

CAREER civil services officer Rashid Mahmood Langrial, who recently became the ninth person to be appointed head of...