Security forces kill 54 terrorists; destroy 15 hideouts in Swat : DG ISPR
ISLAMABAD, May 14 (APP): The security forces during the last 24 hours killed 54 terrorists while destroying their 15 hideouts in Rah-e-Haq-4 Operation, Director General ISPR Major General Athar Abbas said here Thursday. Addressing a joint media briefing at PID, Maj. Gen Athar Abbas said during the operation 9 security personnel have embraced shahadat while 14 others sustained injuries during various encounters with the terrorists. The security forces are advancing in the area to flush out the miscreants.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Syed Samsam Ali Bokhari, Minister of State on Finance Hina Rabbani Khar, Secretary Information and Broadcasting Ashfaq Ahmed Gondal, Brig. Aamir of Special Support Group for IDPs and Principal Information Officer Mian Shabir Anwar were also present.
Director General ISPR reiterated the firm stand and direction given by the Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to take extra ordinary measures to avoid collateral damage during the operation.
“Pakistan Army understands that management of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is as important as military operation in Swat”. He maintained that the Special Support Group is making all out efforts to manage the IDPs in a befitting manner.
Referring to the prevailing war situation in the operation area, Major Gen. Athar Abbas urged the media to be mindful of the fact that the valiant soldiers who are fighting against the terrorists and miscreants are doing this for the cause of the survival and wellbeing of every one of us. “They are offering sacrifices for the liberty and wellbeing of each one of us,” he said.
Answering a question he said, the activities of miscreants, terrorists and Taliban should not be correlated with the Military which has been carrying out operation in the area in most professional manner. He said the Military has been fighting by observing all the norms while the opponent (miscreants, terrorists) have no such taboo to observe. “They behead and slaughter the people while no single soldier can even think of committing any such barbarian act,” he said.
He said the whole nation was backing the military operation and this will continue till the area is cleared of the terrorist and miscreants.
When his attention was drawn towards a report carried out by BBC, he said,”We totally reject this report as incorrect and based on assumption.”
He said that the province of NWFP comprises two major areas called settled and tribal. Bajur area has been cleared of terrorists, he said while Momand is in the process of being purged. He said in FATA area not a single Agency Headquarter has ever been taken over by miscreants or terrorists. The state is functional there. The report is part of malicious campaign, he added.
About the role of PAF in the operation, he said, the aircrafts of PAF have been engaged for mountainious and hilly areas, which are occupied by the terrorists. “A number of caves occupied by the miscreants have been engaged successfully by PAF jets killing a number of terrorists,” he said.
In reference to a report carried by New York Times, he said, the report does not deserve any comments as this is based on comments of some US officials. “No US official has officially talked to any of our official on the subject,” he said.
To another question, he said that the Swat Operation is being carried out by Pakistani forces through indigenous resources and rejected any such report referring that there was some assistance being given by Afghanistan.
The Director General ISPR while responding to a query regarding time frame of the Buner Operation, he said due to precise and specific approach the operation had to be halted for redesigning. “It is going at a slower pace but major achievements are there,” he said.
Giving details about the operation, he said, at Poechar, search and destroy operation is in progress as during the night between Wednesday and Thursday militants made an abortive attempt to raid the base of security forces. The miscreants suffered heavy causalities of 21 killings during the attempt while 8 security personnel got injured.
At Ramotai Loe (Shangla Sector) 15 militant hideouts were destroyed where three miscreant snipers and 12 other miscreants were killed.
He said in the area of Barikot, the security forces after removing a lot of IEDs and eliminating the resistance have been able to clear area up to Udigram (6 km short of Mingora). “Intense fighting is taking place at Udigram,” he said. On Thursday, three miscreants including an important commander have been killed in Udigram, he added.
He said that intense clashes between the miscreants and the security forces are taking place in the north of Shalpalam area.
He said two miscreants were killed by security forces snipers near Circuit House in Mingora while 13 others were killed in Tursak, suburb of Mingora.
At Sultanwas in Buner, he said that ground forces have launched operation on early Thursday to cleanse the area of militants. “It is continuing smoothly and the militants are running away,” he said.
In reply to yet another question, he said the operation at present is continuing at isolated places where the presence of the militants is confirmed.
Replying to a query, the representative of Special Support Group said that the possibility of presence of Taliban in the garb of civilian cannot be ruled out completely. However, efforts through adoption of various mechanisms are in hand to avoid any such incident. “We cannot segregate Taliban from civilian population as they hail from the same area,” he said.
He told a questioner that all those who approach at the IDP camps are provided food and basic amenities whether they have proper identification documents or not.
Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - Security forces kill 54 terrorists; destroy 15 hideouts in Swat : DG ISPR
