7 militants killed in Pakistan tribal area operation

At least seven militants were killed during the last 24 hours as Pakistani security forces continued military operation in South Waziristan tribal area, an army statement said on Wednesday.

Security forces are consolidating their gains and area domination is being carried out on Jandola-Sararogha axis and Shakai-Kaniguram axis.

A number of weapons and ammunition including improvised explosive devices (IED) material were recovered. During clearance,8 tunnels inside the compounds have been discovered along with number of weapons and ammunition.

On Razmak- Makeen axis, security forces are in the process of clearing Makeen and expanding their area of domination. An intense fire exchange took place at newly established check post at Fort Knoll where seven militants were killed, while two soldiers including an officer injured.

About relief activities, 10,621 Cash Cards have issued to displaced families of Waziristan.

So far the government troopers have killed more than 500 Taliban militants since the launch of the military operation in South Waziristan.

Sources told the local newspaper The News that security forces were now controlling more than 80 percent of the Mehsud areas in the agency, the heartland of Pakistan Taliban, as there was no or little resistance from the militants in recent days.

They said majority of militants had either fled into the neighboring North Waziristan and Orakzai tirbal areas or sneaked into the adjacent districts of Tank and Dera Ismail Khan in the garb of fleeing population.

Pakistani security forces launched the ground assault on Oct. 17 in the South Waziristan, advancing towards the main base of Taliban militants in Pakistan. The army said that about 30,000 soldiers are in place to take on an estimated 10,000 hard-core Taliban militants in the lawless area.

The military said that the operation was launched in six towns of the area in three directions and is likely to continue for six to eight weeks.

Source: Xinhua