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QUETTA, July 19: Security forces on Wednesday launched an operation against ‘farari camps’ in the hilly areas of Harnai, Sibi and Karmo-Wadh on Wednesday.
According to reports reaching here, the operation began at around 9am and targeted hideouts of militant tribesmen involved in attacking security forces and government installations.
Helicopter gunships were seen shelling Spin Tangi, Babar Kach, Tandori, Jalri, Sangan and some areas between Harnai and Sibi.
Officials said that security forces had destroyed several camps.
“Saboteurs were using these camps (as bases) for attacking railway tracks and security forces’ checkposts in the area,” the sources said.
No casualty has so far been reported.
Militants claimed that 10 to 12 helicopter gunships took part in the operation and jet fighters were also seen in the area. They did not say anything about casualties.
“No information is available because of the intense shelling in the area,” Allah Bakhsh
Mari, an elder of the Mari tribe said.
Meanwhile, law-enforcement agencies seized arms and ammunition from the Mangocher area in Kalat district. Sources said that forces raided a house pointed out by an accused arrested a few days ago from the same area.
The seizure included seven landmines, 11 rockets, two hand-grenades and 38kgs of high explosives.
ARMS CACHE: Security forces have seized a huge arms cache, including surface-to-air (SAM) missiles, landmines and high explosives, in Toba Kokhani and Lop Sherani areas in Dera Bugti district.
According to officials, the arms were found in a raid carried out by the Frontier Corps on the basis of information that these areas were being used for subversive activities and also served as bases for attacking security forces.
The cache included three SAMs, 404 mortar bombs, 184 landmines, 23 rifles, 304 rocket bombs, 74,390 rounds of different weapons, 838 kiolgrammes of high explosives, 1,150 detonators, 227 fuses of 40-mm rockets.
In another raid, troops recovered 100kg of ‘fine’ quality morphine dumped underground.
