Daily Tracker: Pakistani Military Operations in Orakzai
By Reza Jan, Nicholas Patella, Benjamin Schultz
March 30, 2010
One week ago, the Pakistani military launched a major offensive into Orakzai in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The foray comes as the Pakistani military’s operation in South Waziristan formally ends today, March 30 (although the army will maintain a presence in the agency). As part of the new Orakzai offensive, dubbed Operation “Khwakh Ba De Sham” (A Pashto expression roughly meaning “I will teach you a lesson” or “I will fix you”
, five battalions of Army, Frontier Corps and local Frontier Constabulary troops, backed up by jets, helicopter gunships and artillery support, have forayed into parts of Orakzai held by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and begun retaking control of the area.
Orakzai is of great strategic importance to both the Pakistani military and the TTP. Hakimullah Mehsud, the late head of the TTP, shifted back to his old stronghold of Orakzai along with much of the movement’s leadership and manpower following the group’s expulsion from South Waziristan. Orakzai has also been the launching pad for numerous suicide bomb attacks conducted across Pakistan and is home to many terror training camps, including some run by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Muhammad, and other al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist outfits.
For the Pakistani military, retaking Orakzai is a key step towards destroying the leadership capacity of the TTP, crippling its ability to train and launch attacks, and denying it another safe-haven in which it may regroup. This latest operation in Orakzai demonstrates the utmost seriousness with which Pakistan continues to view the task of eliminating the TTP and its affiliates.
Although the scale of the operation currently underway in Orakzai is smaller compared to last year’s operations in Swat and South Waziristan, the fighting has been just as bloody. The military has established a cordon around many of Orakzai’s entry and exit points and the militants, finding their escape cut off, are, in many cases, choosing to fight and launch significant assaults on military positions. The military has been retaliating by bombarding TTP locations relentlessly, reportedly inflicting heavy casualties on the militants. The military claims many of the dead are foreign fighters, including Arabs and Uzbeks.
The Critical Threats Project has been cataloging the military operation in Orakzai on a day-to-day basis and produced a tracker containing casualty figures, details of fighting, information on the flows of internally displaced people (IDPs), maps of the agency showing locations of violence, and more.
Day Thirteen - April 5, 2010
Air assets continue to target Taliban hideouts throughout the agency as ground forces implement curfews and conduct search operations.
Taliban casualties: 15-18 killed today; 280-387 killed since beginning of operation.
Military Casualties: 1 killed, 3 wounded today; 12-13 killed and 33-39 wounded since beginning of operation. (Daily Times)
Helicopter gunships and fighter jets bombarded Taliban hideouts in the Miangano Kalay, Andara, Gawadra, and Hindara areas, killing 8-11 militants in addition to destroying four hideouts and two vehicles. (Daily Times, Dawn)
Ground troops confirmed that at least seven militants have been killed during clashes in the Bizoti area. Security forces also imposed a curfew and began conducting search operations in a 16 kilometer area between Anjani and Goeen. In a separate incident, militants attacked the agency headquarters in Kalaya, wounding three security personnel and damaging the residence of the assistant political agent. Elsewhere, the beheaded body of a security official kidnapped several days ago was discovered in the Goeen area. (Daily Times)
Day Twelve - April 4, 2010
Militants attack a security post and a convoy. Pakistani security forces retaliate by targeting militant hideouts. Security forces continue to clear areas of Orakzai Agency.
Taliban casualties: 28-46 killed today; 265-369 killed since beginning of operation. (AFP, Daily Times, AP)
Military Casualties: 1-2 wounded today; 11-12 killed and 30-36 wounded since beginning of operation. (Dawn, Daily Times, Reuters, AFP)
Several dozen militants armed with machine guns, mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades attacked a security post in Syed Khalil Baba. Pakistani troops, backed by artillery, repelled the attack and encircled the village, killing between 16 and 26 militants, including a militant commander, wounding more than 15 and arresting between 6 and 10 others. Later in the day, Taliban forces ambushed a military convoy in the Shna Kerpa area. The ensuing two-hour long gun battle resulted in 12 militants killed and 1-4 soldiers injured. Security forces also reported 8 militants killed and 1 soldier wounded in a separate clash in the Andara area. During the course of the day, military operations destroyed a total of 2-6 militant hideouts as security forces set up a number of checkpoints throughout different areas of the agency. (Daily Times, Frontier Post, Dawn, The News, AP, Geo, AFP, Reuters)
A curfew has been imposed from Kalaya to Anjani as security forces are conducting house-to-house search operations. Military officials stated that troops were currently advancing towards the Sul Gul area and the Stori Khel, Bizoti, Utman Khel, Feroz Khel, and Govine areas had been cleared following yesterday’s clashes. (Frontier Post, The News, Geo)
Frontier Corps sources have claimed that a key militant commander named Saifur was killed during the March 31 assault by Taliban forces on an FC fort in Khyber’s Bara sub-district. The government had previously issued a reward on Saifur’s head in the amount of Rs2.5 million. (Geo)
IDPs continue to report a lack of available supplies and accommodations at government relief camps in neighboring regions. Transportation also continues to be a serious problem for IDPs, with one man reporting that he and his children spent two days walking from the Feroz Khel area before arriving at the Muhammad Khwaja relief camp in Hangu. (Dawn)
Day Eleven - April 3, 2010
Security forces continue to target militant positions and seize strategic high ground in Orakzai as a military convoy and security post are ambushed. Intelligence sources also indicate that many Taliban fighters have become demoralized and are attempting to flee the area. (Frontier Post)
Taliban casualties: 30-35 killed today; 237-323 killed since beginning of operation. (Dawn, AP, AFP)
Military casualties: 6 killed, 10 wounded today; 11-12 killed and 29-34 wounded since beginning of operation. (Dawn, AP, AFP, Frontier Post)
Militants attacked a security checkpost in the Khersha area, leaving 6 soldiers dead and 10 wounded. In a separate incident, militants descended from their mountain hideouts to ambush a military convoy travelling between Goeen and Hindara. The resulting firefight left at least 13 militants dead, 14 injured, and 6 others captured. In retaliation, ground forces supported by tanks, helicopters, and artillery launched attacks in the areas of Anjani, Utman Khel, and Aner Khel, killing 22 militants. (Dawn, AFP)
Security forces overcame fierce resistance from militants to secure key strategic positions in the Bizoti area. Additional sources claimed that militants had been cleared from the area between Kalaya and Sultanzai. (AP, AFP, Frontier Post)
Taliban militants blew up a boys’ government school in the Darra Adam Khel area, completely destroying the building and damaging several nearby structures. (Frontier Post)
A government official stated that approximately 10,000 people have left Orakzai since the beginning of the operation and the latest reports indicate that more than 1,000 families fled the Chapper Mela, Meshti Shekhan, and Sangra areas. Additionally, fighting in the agency has resulted in around 170,000 IDPs over the last several months. (Dawn, AP)
Day Ten - April 2, 2010
Security forces target Taliban hideouts as militants continue to destroy schools throughout the agency.
Taliban casualties: 6-7 killed today; 207-288 killed since beginning of operation. (Geo, Daily Times)
Military casualties: No casualties reported today; 5-6 killed and 19-24 wounded since beginning of operation.
Ground forces supported by helicopter gunships targeted militant hideouts in the Sultanzai, Shakar Tangi, Saragara, Kasha, and Anjani areas, killing 6-7 militants and wounding 5 others. A total of 2-3 hideouts were destroyed in the attacks, one of which reportedly belonged to Taliban commander Maulana Rafiq. (Geo, Daily Times)
Militants destroyed a degree college and a technical institute in the Jalka Mela area and a girls’ school in the Bizoti area. No casualties were reported in either attack. (Geo, Daily Times)
Day Nine - April 1, 2010
Security forces continue operations to destroy Taliban hideouts, flush out militants, and kill fighters attempting to flee the area. In the midst of military operations, fighting between rival Taliban factions also continues.
Taliban casualties: 16-28 killed today; 201-281 killed since beginning of operation. (Daily Times, AP, The News)
Military casualties: No casualties reported today; 5-6 killed and 19-24 wounded since beginning of operation.
Shelling from helicopter gunships in the Feroz Khel area of Lower Orakzai killed between 10 and 18 militants and destroyed three militant vehicles as they were reportedly attempting to flee into neighboring Kurram Agency. Additionally, bombardments targeted Taliban hideouts in the Bizoti and Gomeen areas of Lower Orakzai, killing at least six more militants. (Daily Times, AP, The News)
Taliban infighting continues with reports of 4-6 militants killed and another 5 injured during a clash between the two rival factions of Maulvi Toofan and Maulana Rafiq. The fighting broke out at a government school in Mishti in Lower Orakzai and a local commander, Anwar-ul Haq, is also said to have been among those killed. In another incident, a group of unknown assailants shot and killed a Taliban commander named Zia ur Rehman in the Sara Khora area while he was travelling from Ghiljo to Kalaya. (Daily Times, The News)
A stray mortar shell struck a house in Mian Mir Kalay, critically injuring four people. (The News)
Elsewhere, security forces killed six members of theKhyber-based militant group Lashkar-e-Islam during a shootout in the Bara sub-district of neighboring Khyber Agency. Official sources say the militants had been previously captured and that the gunfight broke out when they tried to escape from custody. (Dawn, The News)
More IDPs are fleeing Orakzai. One government official has stated that upwards of 10,000 people have taken refuge in government camps over the past 10 days. Reports say that the one relief camp in Hangu district can only accommodate less than 4,000 people while Kohat district has no relief camps to address the 22,000 IDPs registered there. (AP, Dawn)
Day Eight - March 31, 2010
The above map lists those places that were locatable geographically and thus may not depict all locations in which fighting took place
Day Eight - March 31, 2010
The Pakistani military continues aerial bombardments on militant hideouts in Lower Orakzai while Taliban forces destroy buildings throughout the agency and launch an attack on an FC camp in neighboring Khyber for the second time.
Taliban casualties: 10-11 killed today; 185-253 killed since beginning of operation. (Dawn, Dawn, Daily Times, Geo)
Military casualties: No casualties reported today; 5-6 killed and 19-24 wounded since beginning of operation.
Shelling by jets and gunships in the Mirobak, Sultanzai, Surgul, Kak Darra, Ch(w?)aro Khel, Shireen Darra, and Bizoti areas of Lower Orakzai killed 7-10 militants and destroyed 4-5 bunkers along with several vehicles. A helicopter gunship also targeted a vehicle carrying Taliban fighters in Upper Orakzai, killing three militants. (The News, Dawn, Dawn, Daily Times, Geo)
Unknown attackers have made an attempt on TTP commander Maulvi Toofan’s life. An IED detonated near his vehicle while he was traveling from Mir Kalam Khel to Arghanjo and the ensuing gunbattle left four militants dead and three others injured. (Dawn)
According to local reports, four civilians were injured when a shell fell on a house in Lerah, Feroz Khel. Nine more were injured when another shell hit the house of a tribesman in Mishti. (The News)
Taliban militants reportedly blew up five government schools in the Spin Khada, Utman Khel, Dhand Gahri, Shalon Talab, and Toti Bagh areas of Lower Orakzai and also destroyed a medical center in Marghan. Militants also torched 15 houses belonging to pro-government tribesmen. (The News, Dawn, Dawn)
Elsewhere, at around 2am, approximately 80-100 Taliban fighters armed with rockets, machine guns, rifles, suicide vests, and explosive-laden vehicles launched an assault on an FC fort in Jhansi, located in the Bara sub-district of Khyber Agency. Between 20 and 25 militants were reported killed and 30 others injured during the six-hour long firefight. Security forces managed to successfully repel the attack, but sustained casualties of 5-6 FC personnel killed with another 15-35 wounded. This is the second incident in the past week in which militants attacked an FC camp in the Bara area of Khyber, bordering Orakzai. Official sources claimed that the attack was jointly carried out by the TTP and Lashkar-e-Islam (LI), a non-Taliban militant group active in Khyber. A spokesman from LI denied the claims. (Dawn, BBC, AFP, CNN, Dawn, Geo, The News, AFP)
Security forces also killed five militants and between 1 and 2 soldiers sustained injuries when militants attacked two military checkposts in Alingar, Mohmand agency with rockets and mortars. (The News, AFP)
Day Seven - March 30, 2010
The above map lists those places that were locatable geographically and thus may not depict all locations in which fighting took place
Day Seven - March 30, 2010
Operations in Orakzai continue with heavy bombardments on militant hideouts throughout Upper and Lower Orakzai. Security forces now report Lower Orakzai to be 65% clear of militants. (Daily Times, The News, Dawn, Geo, Frontier Post)
Taliban casualties: 26-40 killed today; 175 to 242 killed since beginning of operation. (Daily Times, The News, Reuters)
Military casualties: No casualties reported today; 5-6 killed and 19-24 wounded since beginning of operation.
Bombardments destroyed several Taliban hideouts in the Arghanjo area of Mamuzai, killing 20-21 militants and injuring 10-22 others. A government primary school and a medical center were among the structures hit and one of the buildings targeted was believed to be a compound belonging to TTP commander Maulvi Toofan. Fighter jets carried out additional air strikes in the Anjani area of Lower Orakzai, destroying three hideouts and killing 6-10 militants. Shelling from helicopter gunships killed between six and nine militants and destroyed five compounds in the Khwa Stori Khel area belonging to Maulvi Nazir. Air strikes were also reported in the Shah Dala, Syed Khalil, Katapanra, and Malandra areas. (Daily Times, The News, Dawn, Geo, Geo, Frontier Post)
Security forces have reportedly cleared the Taliban from the Anjani, Kharshah, Shiraz Garhi, and Sultanzai areas and have set up checkposts in those areas. Ground forces also arrested nine militants following clashes in the Zaina Khel and Tajkan areas. Additionally, Taliban militants are reported to be occupying government buildings in Ghiljo. (BBC Urdu, The News, Frontier Post, Dawn)
Nine members of a family died when a rocket fired by unidentified individuals missed its target and struck a house in Mishti. Two more civilians were reportedly killed when jets mistakenly bombed a market area. (The News, Dawn)
Large numbers of IDPs fleeing Orakzai have reportedly taken refuge in the neighboring districts of Hangu and Kohat. According to reports, there is at least one camp for IDPs set up in Hangu and a second is currently being constructed. Official sources say that approximately 46,000 families from Orakzai have been registered as IDPs over the past three months and more continue to arrive on a daily basis. (BBC Urdu, Daily Times, Dawn)
Day Six - March 29, 2010
The above map lists those places that were locatable geographically and thus may not depict all locations in which fighting took place
Day Six - March 29, 2010
Military operations in Orakzai persist with security forces continuing to repel ambushes, capture militants, and utilize air assets to destroy militant hideouts. (CNN, Daily Times, Frontier Post)
Taliban casualties: 21 to 28 killed today; 149 to 202 killed since beginning of operation. (CNN, Daily Times, Geo)
Military casualties: 2-4 injured today; 5-6 killed and 19-24 wounded since beginning of operation. (CNN, Daily Times, Frontier Post)
The military reportedly conducted actions in Feroz Khel, Waziri, Mishti, Sara Mela and Zara Mela on Monday, among others. (Geo)
Taliban fighters ambushed a military convoy in the Mirobak area. Security forces returned fire, killing between 8 and 11 militants and capturing three to four others, including a militant commander by the name of Mir Fazal. Two soldiers were also reported to have sustained injuries in the firefight. The military reports capturing up to 3 militant commanders on Monday. (CNN, Daily Times, Frontier Post)
In a separate incident, militants fired rockets at a military checkpost near the main Orakzai town of Kalaya. Two soldiers reportedly sustained injuries from enemy mortar fire. Security forces responded, killing five militants. (CNN, Frontier Post)
Helicopter gunships shelled three Taliban hideouts in northern Orakzai, killing 13 militants. Artillery fire also continued to rain down on enemy positions. Up to 28 militants were reported killed in Monday’s fighting. (CNN, Geo)
Security forces killed two militants and arrested 14 others during search and clearing operations in the Dogra area of Khyber Agency’s Bara sub-district and also seized an arms and ammunition cache. (Daily Times, Frontier Post)
According to local tribesmen, 7 civilians including a woman were injured when a stray mortar round hit a house in Aliri village in the Feroz Khel area. Additionally, four unidentified bodies were recovered from Ghiljo, in upper Orakzai on Monday. (The News, The News)
Five policemen and a civilian sustained injuries when hit by an IED attack in nearby Hangu. (CNN)
Day Five - March 28, 2010
The above map lists those places that were locatable geographically and thus may not depict all locations in which fighting took place
Day Five - March 28, 2010
Security forces continued their operations in Orakzai on Sunday, capturing fresh territory and fending off attacks from TTP militants.
Taliban casualties: 22 to 28 killed today, 128 to 174 killed since beginning of operation. (The News, Dawn, AP, Daily Times, Geo, Frontier Post)
Military casualties: No casualties reported today, 5-6 killed and 17-20 wounded since beginning of operation.
Militants and Pakistani security forces traded fire when a military bunker in Gaidar, previously a militant stronghold in Feroz Khel, came under attack. Militants wielding small arms and rockets attacked the outpost but were beaten back by forces stationed there. During the military’s retaliation between 6 and 10 Taliban militants were killed. Security forces killed 5 militants in a separate gunbattle which took place earlier. The military has now fully secured Gaidar. (Geo, Dawn, Dawn, The News, Daily Times)
In a separate incident, militants based out of Shireen Darra fired four rockets at the military camp established in Kalaya. The rockets missed their mark and no casualties were reported. (The News)
Security forces later bombarded enemy positions and trenches in the Feroz Khel area, killing between 5 and 12 militants, according to differing reports. (The News, AP, Geo, Daily Times)
Elsewhere, 11 suspected militants were arrested during a search operation in Hangu. 23 militants including, three commanders, voluntarily surrendered at a jirga in Salarzai area of Bajaur Agency. The jirga announced a Rs2 million fine for anyone that hosted extremists in addition to the seizure of all their wealth and banishment from the area. (Frontier Post, Daily Times)
The exodus of internally displaced people continues, and large numbers of IDPs have left Sultanzai, Feroz Khel, Anjani and Mishti, for safer areas in Hangu and Kohat. A large number of families are also fleeing north into Khyber agency. According to one report, more than 15,000 families have fled to various parts of Khyber agency. (Dawn, Daily Times, Geo)
Day Four - March 27, 2010
The above map lists those places that were locatable geographically and thus may not depict all locations in which fighting took place
Day Four - March 27, 2010
“Fresh contingents of security forces” deployed to Orakzai and forces continued to pound enemy locations with artillery as operations in the region continued. (The News)
Taliban casualties: 9-16 killed today, 106-146 killed since beginning of operation. (Frontier Post, Dawn, AP/WSJ, AFP, Daily Times)
Military casualties: No casualties reported today, 5-6 killed and 17-20 wounded since beginning of operation.
Air strikes targeting eight separate hideouts and three militant vehicles in Orakzai Agency killed between 9 and 16 militants. (Frontier Post, Dawn, AP/WSJ, AFP, Daily Times)
Pakistani jets, gunships and artillery shelled several TTP hideouts in Orakzai. Air assets and artillery struck locations in Sultanzai, Daburai, Bizoti, Feroz Khel, Bazoqamar, Kata Kanrai, Utman Khel, Chundra/Jondar and Darra Garhi and Anjani. Gunships also targeted militant positions in Bagram and Shadal. Between 13 and 16 militants died and 18 were injured in the strikes and “scores others” were injured. Three vehicles carrying militants belonging to the Aslam Farooqi group were also destroyed. Aslam Farooqi is the leader of the TTP’s Orakzai chapter. (Geo, Daily Times, The News, Frontier Post)
Elsewhere, militants in Orakzai killed two Utman Khel tribesmen in Lower Orakzai on suspicion of spying for the government. The bodies of six truck drivers abducted some days before were also recently found in Orakzai. (Geo)
Day Three - March 26, 2010
The above map lists those places that were locatable geographically and thus may not depict all locations in which fighting took place
Day Three - March 26, 2010
Security forces continue their operations in Orakzai, utilizing air assets to destroy militant hideouts and weathering Taliban counterattacks. (Dawn, The News, Reuters, NYT)
Taliban casualties: 28-42 killed today, 97 to 130 killed since beginning of operation. (Reuters, AP/WSJ)
Military casualties: 5-6 FC soldiers killed, 14-16 wounded today. 5-6 killed, 17-20 wounded since beginning of operation. (Reuters, The News)
Between 100 and 150 militants launched an assault late Thursday night on the Shna checkpost located on the outskirts of Kalaya. The insurgents attacked the checkpost from three sides simultaneously, pounding the area with mortar shells and machine gun fire. One security official described the attack as a last ditch effort from Taliban militants who had been cut off from other contingents fighting in the region and were unable to flee into the Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency. Frontier Corps forces with the help of air support launched a counterattack early on Friday which successfully retook the checkpost after several hours of fighting. Between the initial assault and the counterattack which recaptured the checkpost security forces killed between 21 and 32 militants; Afghans, Arabs, and Uzbeks were reportedly among the dead. FC casualties included 5-6 personnel killed, including a Lieutenant Colonel, and between 14 and 16 FC soldiers wounded. (Reuters,AFP, AP/WSJ, NYT, The News,Dawn)
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters also attacked military bunkers in the Feroz Khel area. According to local residents, the attack on the checkpost and bunkers was carried out in retaliation for the previous day’s bombing of militant hideouts in the Mamuzai area that killed several dozen TTP fighters. (The News)
Later in the day, shelling from fighter jets and helicopter gunships targeted several militant hideouts in the Daburai, Mamuzai, Khadizai, and Ghiljo areas, killing between 7 and 10 militants and wounding 10 others. (Reuters, The News)
According to BBC Urdu, the majority of Orakzai’s population had fled the region prior to the commencement of this latest operation, but on Friday Orakzai’s political administrators directed residents of Stori Khel and Feroz Khel to evacuate their homes. The military opened main roads to allow the people to leave, but searched the internally displaced people (IDPs) to ensure no militants were able to flee the region. (The News)
Day Two - March 25, 2010
The above map lists those places that were locatable geographically and thus may not depict all locations in which fighting took place
Day Two - March 25, 2010
Inspector General Frontier Corps (IGFC) Major General Tariq Khan issued a statement that Operation “Khwakh Ba De Sham” is “progressing well”. (AFP)
Approximate Taliban casualties: 48-65 killed today, 69-88 killed since beginning of operation. (Reuters, Dawn, AP)
Military casualties: 2 FC soldiers wounded today, 3-4 FC wounded since beginning of operation. (Dawn, Frontier Post)
Pakistani Air Force (PAF) jets bombarded several militant hideouts in the Mamuzai and Daburai areas of Upper Orakzai. A madrassa, a school, and a mosque were said to be among the buildings targeted by the air strikes in the Arghanjo area of Mamuzai. Security officials say a meeting of Taliban leadership loyal to Maulvi Toofan’s group was being held in one of these buildings at the time of the attack. Another report indicates that most of the militants killed belonged to the Aslam Farooqi and Tariq Afridi groups. Additionally, one of the structures hit reportedly belonged to the non-violent group Tableeghi Jamaat, killing 10 people. Air strikes in the Daburai area destroyed three Taliban hideouts, killing six militants and wounding five others. Various reports put the total number of militants killed in the attacks at between 44 and 61. (Frontier Post, Reuters, Dawn, AFP, AP)
Four militants were killed and one soldier was wounded in clearing operations in the Mirobak and Feroz Khel areas. A local Taliban commander by the name of Mian Gul was also reportedly captured along with a large quantity of hand grenades and other arms. Additionally, one soldier was injured in Kalaya as Taliban militants continued to fire rockets and mortars into the town. (Dawn, Frontier Post)
Hafiz Sakhi, a former Taliban commander, has announced his support for the security forces fighting in Orakzai. (Frontier Post)
The bodies of two more tribal elders kidnapped from Hangu district by the Taliban were discovered in the Sara Mela area. The executed elders were identified as Gul Hakeem and Fazal Jameel. The body of one other unidentified victim was also found. Three more tribal leaders are still being held by the Taliban. (Dawn, Frontier Post)
Thousands of civilians are said to have fled the area, but the total number of IDP’s is still unclear. (BBC)
Day One - March 24, 2010
The above map lists those places that were locatable geographically and thus may not depict all locations in which fighting took place
Day One - March 24, 2010
Operation “Khwakh Ba De Sham” began close to midnight of March 23rd/24th and Pakistani security forces, including the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) forces, and backed up by jet, gunship and artillery support, entered Taliban controlled areas of Orakzai. Forces attempted to clear enemy-held areas around Orakzai’s main town of Kalaya. (AFP/DAWN, The News)
Military force involved: At least 5 battalions drawn from the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC) and Frontier Constabulary, supported by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets, Army Cobra helicopter gunships and heavy artillery. (AFP)
Approximate Taliban casualties: 21-23, according to differing reports. (AP, Geo, The News)
Military casualties: 1-2 FC soldiers wounded. (AP, BBC Urdu/CAO, The News)
Security forces reportedly launched operations in Hashmat Khan Kili, Qeematkhel, Mirobak, Shna Naka, Anjani, Ferozkhel, Stori Khel, Khalil Kalay. (Frontier Post, The News)
Security forces tightened security at exit and entry points around Orakzai to prevent an exodus of militants into the settled areas of the NWFP. Security has been heightened in Doaba, Thal and Hangu. (The News)
Resistance was reported in Anjani, Hashmat Khal Kili, Qeemat Khel and Shna Naka. One soldier was reported wounded in the fighting. According to local reports, the militants were unable to offer sustained resistance and were largely fleeing to safer locations. Some Taliban fighters were reported fleeing with their dead towards Indarra, near the border with Khyber agency. 11 militants were reportedly killed in clashes. (Geo, Daily Times, The News, Daily Times, AFP/DAWN)
In their push towards Kalaya, security forces assaulted and took control of Anjani, Zera, Chamjanna, Hashmat Khan Kili, Shna Naka, Mirobak, Qeemat Khel, Shantana, and Feroz Khel, according to various sources. (BBC Urdu/CAO, The News)
PAF jets and army helicopter gunships launched strikes in Sultanzai, Anjani, Stori Khel, Malandra, Hindara, Mashini Killay, Anjani and Mamuzai. 12 militants were reportedly killed in airstrikes and six hideouts, a bunker, and explosive-filled tanker and a militant training center were also destroyed. (The News, Frontier Post, BBC Urdu/CAO, AFP/DAWN)
Militants offered only sporadic resistance but fired mortars and rockets at military positions around Kalaya. One report claims one soldier was injured by the indirect fire; according to another the shelling caused no casualties. (BBC Urdu/CAO, The News)
The military established a temporary camp in Kalaya and imposed curfews in Mirobak, Feroz Khel, Chamjanna, Zera, Khwaja Khidr, Hindara and Aakhel areas. (The News)
According to news sources, eighty percent of Orakzai’s population had already fled the region in anticipation of a military operation. (BBC Urdu/CAO)
Elsewhere, Taliban militants execute one of six tribal elders abducted two days earlier from the district of Hangu. His body was found in Ghiljo in Upper Orakzai. (Daily Times, The News)
(Original photos available at Pakistanarmy.gov.pk, CriticalThreats.org and Google Earth)
