80 killed in Pakistan Army operation in North Waziristan against militants

The Pakistani army has killed at least 80 people in air strikes launched on Sunday against the hideouts of suspected militants, mostly Uzbeks, in the remote region of North Waziristan near the Afghan border, according to the agency France Presse, quoting senior military officials. Local security sources, however, suggest a much larger number of deaths, at least 150 dead, as reported by local TV Geo and Express Tribune newspaper.

A statement from the Pakistani military says the attacks were executed after confirming the presence in those caches linked terrorists in the attack on the airport in Karachi, whose assault last Sunday killed 38 people, including 10 attackers.

Among the dead rebels on Sunday is the suspected mastermind of the Karachi airport. The militants attack on Karachi airport was the turning point in the peace talks between the government and Taliban Movement of Pakistan (TTP), which began earlier this year. One day after the end of the airport attack, which lasted about 12 hours, the army launched a series of bombings in the tribal area of North Waziristan, in which 25 insurgents were killed.

Air strikes occurred Sunday around 01.30 local time and were aimed at the mountainous region of Degan and Datta, about 25 kilometers west of Miranshah, the main town in the tribal district of North Waziristan and stronghold of the Taliban and al Qaeda militants on the Afghan border.

The Armed Forces have carried out numerous bombings this year against Taliban positions in the tribal belt, first in February and later in late May, when more than 60 suspected insurgents were killed in the air raids.

Last week representatives of the Pakistani officials met with tribal leaders in the area of North Waziristan, considered the greatest bastion of TTP, requiring them to drive out the Taliban and foreign jihadists in the area. According to local media, the authorities gave the tribes two weeks to get rid of the insurgents, and if unsuccessful the Army to conduct a ground operation in the area.

In addition to military pressure, the TTP has faced strong internal dissensions which have led to the departure of one of its main faction, which has meant the loss of almost half of the 10,000 fighters of the organization.

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Posted by Maleeha Tareen on Jun 16 2014. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.