ISLAMABAD: Thirty-five suspected militants were killed in aerial strikes by fighter jets in the North Waziristan tribal region, the military said on Wednesday. The claims, however, could not be independently verified as journalists have limited access to the restive tribal agency.
A statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations said “three terrorist hideouts were destroyed in precision strikes in the northwest of Dattakhel early on Wednesday”.
Dattakhel is considered a stronghold for terrorists and a targeted clearance operation is under way in the area. More airstrikes may be carried out in and around Dattakhel which has also been a scene of numerous drone strikes in the past.
Also read: Footprints: Dispatches from North Waziristan
The latest statement from the army comes as military operation Zarb-i-Azb is completing its third month. The operation was launched by the Pakistan Army on June 15 following a brazen militant attack on the Jinnah International Airport and failure of peace talks between the government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) negotiators.
The Taliban and their ethnic Uzbek allies both claimed responsibility for the attack on the airport which was seen as a strategic turning point in how Pakistan tackles the insurgency.
Nearly a million people have fled the offensive in North Waziristan and taken shelter at camps for the displaced.
