30 more extremists killed, 6 soldiers martyred

Peshawar—As the bloody clashes between the security forces and the alleged terrorists continued in parts of Aurakzai agency, at least 30 trouble makers were reported killed and many others injured. Six men in uniform embraced Shahadat and some received wounds during encounter with the insurgents on Saturday.

Though the security forces have been operating against the militants in Aurakzai agency for the last few months operation was paced up in the month of March. In ground and air offensives against the militants around 250 trouble makers were killed. 12 soldiers embraced Shahadat in clashes with the miscreants. Locals claim many civilians also fell prey to the bombings by the PAF air machines.

Military sources in Kalaya the headquarters of Aurakzai agency told Pakistan Observer that the security forces backed by the PAF birds Saturday morning launched operation to gain control of the strategic heights around the Bezotay which led to a bloody shoot out between the forces and the militants. Militants offered tough resistance to the security forces killing as many as six soldiers while ten others sustained wounds. The ground forces and the air force then stuck hard on the militants and targeted their positions with full might with the help of artillery and gunship helicopters mowing down around 30 miscreants and wounding several others. The wounded soldiers were transported to CMH Kohat for the treatment. The forces have gained full control of important heights around the Bezotay area.

The PAF gunship choppers and the jets also bombarded hideouts of the extremists’ in Atmankhel and Torikhel areas. Two significant havens of the alleged extremists in Feroz Khel area of Aurakzai agency were brought under control of the security forces. In Sultanghai, the insurgents attacked a security check post injuring two security men and fled from the scene after committing the crime.

On the other hand, mass migration of people from Aurakzai agency continued Saturday and according to rough estimates more than 40,000 people have so far left Aurakzai and Kurram agencies to find refuge in safer places specially Kohat and Hangu. A UN body dealing with the refugees and displaced persons , said in Islamabad that on average 800 people were migrating from Aurakzai agency daily.

In the meanwhile the militants blew up more schools in Darra Adam Khel FR Kohat Saturday morning but no casualty was reported in the subversive activities.

According to political administration, militants blew up a government boys primary school in Sarrah Mela village of Darra Adam Khel and destroyed its building as well as the fixtures. Four education institutions including a boys degree college and a Poly-technique institute were blown up by the insurgents in Aurakzai and Mohmand agencies believably in reaction to the security forces operation in the tribal belt.