38 more militants killed

Peshawar—The PAF jets and the gunship helicopters intensifying their strikes against the militants in Aurakzai agency on Tuesday went for bombings on the hideouts of insurgents in various parts of the agency killing at least 38 militants.

Scores of people sustained injuries while eight dens of the trouble makers were destroyed during the bombardment. A large number of people migrated towards safer places.

The security forces operating against the trouble makers challenging the writ of the government in Upper and Lower Aurakzai agency paced up clean up operation some time back A weeklong operation was carried out in Mashie, Arghanja, Bal Kot, Talay, Waziray, Ikka Khel and other areas of the region. 150 people mostly militants were killed in the clean up operation.

PAF machines Tuesday morning pounded militants’ positions in various areas of the agency inflicting heavy losses on the insurgents. The jet fighters and the gunship choppers, as the sources say, targeted suspected positions of the militants in Anjani area in lower Aurakzai agency which resulted in killing of six militants and destruction of three compounds of the banned outfit of the militants. Over twenty militants were killed and ten others injured when the fighter aircraft pounded hideouts of the militants in Arghunjo area of Tehsil Mamozai in Upper Aurakzai agency, a strong base of the defunct TTP Chief Hakimullah Mehsud who is said to have been buried in the same area. A training center of the militants, sources say, was also razed to ground during the bombardment.

Nine more militants were gunned down by the gunship choppers during heavy bombing over the compounds of commander Nazir in Khwastori area in Lower Aurakzai agency. Five secret hideouts were also destroyed during the aerial strikes.