Pakistani fighter jets carried out airstrikes in the restive North Waziristan, killing at least 25 terrorists in retaliation to the recent Taliban attacks against security forces.
“On the basis of confirmed intelligence reports about presence of militants, their hideouts were targeted by air strikes last night in North Wazirastan Agency. 25 terrorists were killed,” a military source said.
He said those killed were linked to bombings in a bazaar and a church as well as Sunday’s attack in Bannu that killed 26 soldiers.
“Scores of militants were injured in these strikes,” he said.
The operation carried out by the Air Force jets took many by surprise.
It was the first time the Air Force has resorted to aerial strikes in the region since a ceasefire agreement with local Taliban chiefs in 2007.
Yesterday, a suicide bomber killed at least 13 people near Pakistan’s army headquarters in Rawalpindi. Among those who died were six military personnel.
Unconfirmed reports said many civilians were also killed in the airstrikes carried out by the military. The claims on both sides could not be independently confirmed.
Fear and panic gripped the areas struck by the attack which flattened several houses, following which gunship helicopters conducted fresh strikes today, causing locals to flee the volatile area for safer places, the Dawn reported.
The localities where the military strikes were conducted included Hamzoni village, Mohammadkhel village of Dattakhel tehsil in North Waziristan, Shera Tala area, Harmaz village, Moski village and other areas of North Waziristan.
Sources said those wounded in the attacks could not be shifted to hospitals for treatment due to a curfew imposed in the area.
North Waziristan is one of the seven regions in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) governed by tribal laws.
An extremist insurgency led by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) plagues the region and the area is known to be infested with militants, including those from al Qaeda and other armed extremist organisations.
The region, which lies along the Pak-Afghan border, also comes under attacks from US drones frequently which target militant hideouts in the area.