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30 die in Swat ground push against militants
Thursday, September 04, 2008
By Musa Khankhel & Delawar Jan
MINGORA/PESHAWAR: The security forces claimed to have killed about 30 militants and wounded another 35 in a ground assault backed by gunship helicopters in the militants-infested Koza Bandai area of volatile Swat Valley on Wednesday.
The military has stepped up operation in the valley despite the government's announcement of a ceasefire and killed several dozen militants in the last more than one week, while the top military official has vowed to continue the action till the elimination of militants from the valley.
Since the jetfighters' participation in the operation, the number of casualties has been recording an upsurge, as 15 militants were killed on Tuesday. The security forces launched a ground assault in Koza Bandai, the native village of the Swat Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan, at dawn on Wednesday to clear the area of the militants.
A Mingora-based ISPR spokesman, Maj Nasir Ali, told The News that 25 to 30 militants, including hardcore terrorists, were killed and 30 to 35 were injured in the attack that was backed by gunship helicopters.
He claimed that the militants had been flushed out of the area but "some pockets of resistance were still there," which, he added, "would be mopped up in the next stage of the operation".
Giving details of the operation, the official said the militants had established themselves in the village and made the civilian population hostage. The area, he added, was a stronghold of the miscreants, which served as a launching pad for their terrorist activities in and around the suburbs of Mingora, the district headquarters of Swat.
"From here they would launch their sabotage activities and destroy the houses of the people. They have destroyed the houses of ANP and PML-Q leaders besides others and subjected the locals to killings, torture and kidnapping, forcing them to request the forces to launch an operation against them in Koza Bandai," he said.
Therefore, he added, the forces launched a massive ground operation, backed by gunship helicopters, at dawn on Wednesday and targeted their fortified positions and fortress-type houses. "The people of the area cooperated with the security forces when asked through leaflets, dropped from choppers and announcement made from megaphones to shift to Bara Bandai area before the operation to avoid civilian casualties," he said.
The spokesman for the Swat chapter of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Muslim Khan, while talking to The News from an undisclosed location said that the forces destroyed 200 houses in Koza Bandai in the Wednesday's operation.
There were reports that the spokesman for Swat chapter of the TTP Muslim Khan has claimed responsibility for attack on Prime Minister's cavalcade. However, these reports could not be independently confirmed, as the spokesman could not be reached through all his contact numbers.
There were also reports about five civilian casualties, including four women besides injuries to scores of others. Adam Khan, Muhammad Hilal, Ali Rawan, Qasim Jan, Zafar Ali, Bakht, Janat Mahal, Hussan Bano, Kalsoom, Amanullah, Sulaiman, Alamzeb, Sakina, Nasir Khan, Aslam, Muhammad Ilyas and Zetun were among the injured. Two security forces' personnel, Wasim and Shahid, were reportedly killed besides injuries to four others, who were identified as Tariq, Sajjad, Zafar and Muhammad Irfan.
There were also reports about the destruction of dozens of houses. Security forces' personnel were billeted in regional office passport and curfew imposed for indefinite period. Due to curfew, a paper in the ongoing MA examination was postponed.
According to a report, the civilian casualties in the Tuesday airstrikes on Peuchar rose to 23 while another 50 were reported injured.
Meanwhile, the security forces arrested eight suspected militants, injured in the Koza Badai operation, from Saidu Sharif hospital. Confirming their arrest, the spokesman of the ISPR said there might be some key leaders among the arrested persons, saying they were being interrogated.
30 die in Swat ground push against militants
Thursday, September 04, 2008
By Musa Khankhel & Delawar Jan
MINGORA/PESHAWAR: The security forces claimed to have killed about 30 militants and wounded another 35 in a ground assault backed by gunship helicopters in the militants-infested Koza Bandai area of volatile Swat Valley on Wednesday.
The military has stepped up operation in the valley despite the government's announcement of a ceasefire and killed several dozen militants in the last more than one week, while the top military official has vowed to continue the action till the elimination of militants from the valley.
Since the jetfighters' participation in the operation, the number of casualties has been recording an upsurge, as 15 militants were killed on Tuesday. The security forces launched a ground assault in Koza Bandai, the native village of the Swat Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan, at dawn on Wednesday to clear the area of the militants.
A Mingora-based ISPR spokesman, Maj Nasir Ali, told The News that 25 to 30 militants, including hardcore terrorists, were killed and 30 to 35 were injured in the attack that was backed by gunship helicopters.
He claimed that the militants had been flushed out of the area but "some pockets of resistance were still there," which, he added, "would be mopped up in the next stage of the operation".
Giving details of the operation, the official said the militants had established themselves in the village and made the civilian population hostage. The area, he added, was a stronghold of the miscreants, which served as a launching pad for their terrorist activities in and around the suburbs of Mingora, the district headquarters of Swat.
"From here they would launch their sabotage activities and destroy the houses of the people. They have destroyed the houses of ANP and PML-Q leaders besides others and subjected the locals to killings, torture and kidnapping, forcing them to request the forces to launch an operation against them in Koza Bandai," he said.
Therefore, he added, the forces launched a massive ground operation, backed by gunship helicopters, at dawn on Wednesday and targeted their fortified positions and fortress-type houses. "The people of the area cooperated with the security forces when asked through leaflets, dropped from choppers and announcement made from megaphones to shift to Bara Bandai area before the operation to avoid civilian casualties," he said.
The spokesman for the Swat chapter of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Muslim Khan, while talking to The News from an undisclosed location said that the forces destroyed 200 houses in Koza Bandai in the Wednesday's operation.
There were reports that the spokesman for Swat chapter of the TTP Muslim Khan has claimed responsibility for attack on Prime Minister's cavalcade. However, these reports could not be independently confirmed, as the spokesman could not be reached through all his contact numbers.
There were also reports about five civilian casualties, including four women besides injuries to scores of others. Adam Khan, Muhammad Hilal, Ali Rawan, Qasim Jan, Zafar Ali, Bakht, Janat Mahal, Hussan Bano, Kalsoom, Amanullah, Sulaiman, Alamzeb, Sakina, Nasir Khan, Aslam, Muhammad Ilyas and Zetun were among the injured. Two security forces' personnel, Wasim and Shahid, were reportedly killed besides injuries to four others, who were identified as Tariq, Sajjad, Zafar and Muhammad Irfan.
There were also reports about the destruction of dozens of houses. Security forces' personnel were billeted in regional office passport and curfew imposed for indefinite period. Due to curfew, a paper in the ongoing MA examination was postponed.
According to a report, the civilian casualties in the Tuesday airstrikes on Peuchar rose to 23 while another 50 were reported injured.
Meanwhile, the security forces arrested eight suspected militants, injured in the Koza Badai operation, from Saidu Sharif hospital. Confirming their arrest, the spokesman of the ISPR said there might be some key leaders among the arrested persons, saying they were being interrogated.
30 die in Swat ground push against militants