PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD
At least 15 militants were killed and 10 explosives- laden vehicles destroyed in precision airstrikes carried out by army aviation combat helicopters in North Waziristan Agency on Monday.
According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), media wing of Pakistan Army, gunship helicopters targeted militant hideouts in Tabai area. Resultantly, 15 militants were killed.
Moreover, at least ten explosive-laden vehicles and five terrorist hideouts were also destroyed in the airstrikes, the ISPR added.
On Sunday last, at least three FC soldiers were killed when militants fired rockets on their check-post in Spinwam area of North Waziristan Agency situated near to Pak-Afghan border.
Similarly on Wednesday last, at least five militant hideouts were hit by Pak army at Dattakhel and Shawal valley of North Waziristan Agency, besides killing 65 terrorists.
So far, around 975 militants have been killed in air and ground attacks in North Waziristan in the ongoing military operation launched on June15 last against local and foreign militants in the region, following a brazen militant attack on Karachi’s international airport and failure of peace talks between the government and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) negotiators.
North Waziristan has been isolated by deploying troops along its border with neighbouring agencies to block any move of terrorists in and out of the agency. Owing to the operation, over one million tribesmen have migrated to downtowns of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
ISAF COMMANDER, COAS MEET
Meanwhile, General John Campbell, Commander International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif, at General Headquarters on Monday.
This was his first visit to the General Headquarters after assumption of command of the ISAF.
During the meeting, matters of mutual interest were discussed that included progress of ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb, latest situation in Afghanistan and coordination along Pak-Afghan border.
Army not taking sides
Monitoring desk: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Bajwa on Monday said that due to Operation Zarb-i-Azb, the Taliban capacity to carry out terrorist attacks have been neutralised.
During an interview with the BBC, the DG ISPR said, “Because the terrorists have been scattered they are only able to carry out random attacks”.
He said that the second-level leadership of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban have been either killed or arrested during the operation.
When asked a question regarding the political situation in Pakistan, Bajwa said that the Army was not involved in politics nor was it supporting a particular faction during the current crisis.
“We have held the view from the start that this was a political problem and that it should be resolved through the political process,” said the DG ISPR.
“The Army cannot support a particular faction because the institution represents the entire country…The Army has not supported any faction in the past nor will it do so in future,” Bajwa said.