PESHAWAR: Three alleged militants were killed and four security personnel injured in an operation in tehsil Tiaraza of Upper South Waziristan district on Saturday.

According to sources, the militants allegedly attacked the security forces in the Sholam/Toorwam area of Tiaraza.

The security forces retaliated and killed three militants, the sources said, adding that four security personnel suffered injuries and were shifted to Frontier Corps Hospital.

Soon after the attack, security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace the attackers. They also recovered weapons from the slain militants.

Officials say operation is going on against foreign terrorists in Thira valley

Separately, in North Waziristan district’s Miramshah area, two rockets fired from an unknown location landed on a helipad. Sources said two security personnel were injured when the rockets exploded.

They said security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

No statement was released from ISPR till filing of this report.

Meanwhile, a senior official from the military’s Special Services Group (SSG) said a series of intelligence-based operations (IBO) were conducted against foreign militants who had infiltrated into Pakistan from Afghanistan since August 20.

The official said the foreign militants, affiliated with the banned Lashkar-i-Islam and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, entered Tirah valley of Khyber district, through the Koh-i-Sufaid area of Afghanistan.

He said that in most of the IBOs, the SSG along with light commandoes achieved their objectives by neutralising a huge number of foreign militants, including their main leader, Abu Dhr alias Saddam. He said security forces had started an effective offensive against the foreign militants who had built various hideouts in Tirah.

“In view of the increasing number of foreign terrorists in Thira valley, the SSG has been assigned the mission of clearing the area of terrorists,” the official said, adding that security forces resisted incursion of the militants and that under an integrated strategy, it was ensured that the loss of the local population and security forces remained minimal.

The official said the SSG and light commandos were deployed and assigned the mission to destroy the militants’ strongholds in the valley.

He also said that despite being a difficult mission due to weather and extreme thirst, “security forces inflicted damage on the enemy”.

“We inflicted heavy losses on the enemy in these operations,” the platoon commander said, adding that security forces were determined to protect the lives and property of people against militants.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2024