Pakistani forces will be continued in their offensive against the militants on Saturday and reportedly killed over 10 militants and destroyed their hide-outs in Hangu district of Thalla by using helicopter gunships.

Islamabad, Feb 22/Nationalturk – After recent air strikes on militant positions of militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan  (TTP) in North Wazirstan tribal agency, Pakistani forces continued their air offensive against the militants on Saturday and reportedly killed over 10 militants and destroyed their hide-outs in Thall district of Hangu.

Sources said Pakistani security forces fired from gunship helicopters towards militant positions in Hangu area in country’s tribal agency.

“The security forces destroyed some militant hide-outs in the offensive in Hangu. Over 10 militants including three top commanders were killed in the gunship helicopter firing,” they said adding more than four gunship helicopters were used in the operation, which has been termed as surgical.

Hangu borders the northwestern tribal region of Orakzai, one of Pakistan’s seven lawless districts on the Afghan border.

Pakistan fighter jets killed over 40 militants on Feb 19

On February 19, Pakistani jet fighters had bombed militant hideouts in North Wazirstan destroying many of safe havens of militants. Over 40 militants including some foreigners including Tajik and Uzbek militants were killed in the surgical air raids.

Pakistan government said the decision to conduct air strikes in North Waziristan was taken by military leadership after approval from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The air strikes came after suicide bomber killed 13 policemen in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi and 23 abducted army men were beheaded by TTP men.

Almost all political parties of the country except some religious groups have backed army’s decision to conduct air raids on TTP hide-outs. There have been calls to eliminate terrorism by taking fight to them in North Wazirstan, which is strong bastion of TTP and other militant groups operating in Pakistan.

TTP militants’ women, children not in custody: Army

Pakistan army has rejected TTP allegations that security forces were holding women and children of militants in custody.

“These allegations against security forces are unsubstantiated and false. It was a baseless propaganda by the TTP,” an army spokesman said.

He said not a single women or child is in the custody of security forces. “In fact women and children have never been detained”.

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Asia News/ NationalTurk Pakistan News