RAWALPINDI:
Terming the Operation Zarb-e-Azb as war for the survival of Pakistan,
the Pakistan Army on Thursday pledged to tackle all terrorists,
including the Haqqani Network.
Briefing the media here, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa said 327 hardcore terrorists had been killed while 45 hideouts of terrorists were destroyed in the North Waziristan Agency during the ongoing operation launched on June 15. He said 19 terrorists surrendered before the security personnel. He said 10 soldiers laid down their lives while seven were injured in the line of duty.
Major General Bajwa said North Waziristan had become an abode of terrorists. He said due to the sudden operation, the terrorists were entrapped in North Waziristan and would not be given a chance to escape.
He said all the allegations of Afghan government against the Pakistan Army were baseless. “The operation in North Waziristan was being conducted by the Pakistan Army and it was not assisted by the US or anyone else.”
About the internally displaced persons (IDPs), he said that so far 456,292 people, comprising 36,804 families, had been registered and majority of themwere shifted to their relatives in Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat. He said only a few hundred persons opted to stay in the camps set up for the IDPs.
Giving details, Asim Saleem Bajwa said from January 29 to June 8, some 195 persons had lost their lives in 20 terrorist incidents. He reiterated that North Waziristan had become a stronghold of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and a hub of terrorist activities. “In this backdrop, it was decided to launch an operation aimed at restoring the writ of the government.”
He said the army troops, FC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa troops, Khassadar, Levies, intelligence agencies and Pakistan Air Force were deployed to flush out the terrorists from the area.Major General Bajwa said 50 army personnel, along with 20 NDMA officials, had been deployed for the registration of all IDPs. He said six ration distribution points had been established in Bannu, DI Khan and Tank for provision of food packets and medicines to the IDPs. He said every family was given Rs15,000 besides one month ration as announced by the army. “Of the enlisted IDPs, 221,000 were administered polio drops.”
The DG ISPR said Nadra mobile and Smart Card vans were made available to check the identity of incoming IDPs at the registration centres. About the relief collection points, he said 32 such points had been set up in different cities. To a question, he pointed out that 400 Afghan families had crossed over to Afghanistan after the start of the ongoing operation.
He said the whole nation had to play its role to support the armed forces in rooting out terrorism from the country. He also urged the media to create an awareness among the people to wipe out any misperception regarding the operation.
To a query, the DG ISPR said the Afghan government had been requested to take action against those terrorists who could cross over to the Afghan territory to avoid operation. He said that Pakistan had raised voice against the drone attacks as Pakistan armed forces were fully capable of defeating the terrorists. He said joint control rooms had been set up (UAN 1135) in different cities where people could share information about any suspicious person or activity.
Ashrafuddin Pirzada adds from Landikotal: Four militants and three Khassadar force personnel were killed in a clash after about two dozen gunmen attacked the Hawaldari checkpost in the Surkamar area of the Jamrud Tehsil in Khyber Agency on Thursday, local and official sources said.
The sources said at least 12 gunmen, equipped with automatic weapons, stormed the Hawaldari checkpost located on the main Pak-Afghan Highway at around 1:50am during the night.Local sources said the militants besieged the checkpost and opened fire on the soldiers manning it. The lightly armed Khassadar force personnel returned the fire, triggering a gunbattle.
“I heard sounds of firing from different sides when the attack was launched on the checkpost,” said a local tribesman. He added that the firing stopped after a few minutes but it started again when a contingent of the paramilitary Frontier Corps reached the spot to support the besieged Khassadar force personnel.
The security forces, the official sources said, repulsed the attack and killed four attackers. However, the rest of the militants managed to escape.Three Khassadar officials identified as Naib Line Officer Shaukat Khan Afridi, who was recently promoted, and Sepoy Shamshad Afridi and Sepoy Baseer Khan were killed in the clash.
According to an ISPR statement, four paramilitary officials, including Captain Umar, were injured in the attack.The other injured soldiers were identified as Sepoys Umara Khan, Noor Hussain and Abdur Rauf.
Assistant Political Agent Jamrud Roshan Wazir condemned the attack and praised the bravery of the Khassadar force personnel.The funeral prayers for the slain Khassadars were offered in the presence of a large number of people. Roshan Wazir and other officials also attended the funeral.
Briefing the media here, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa said 327 hardcore terrorists had been killed while 45 hideouts of terrorists were destroyed in the North Waziristan Agency during the ongoing operation launched on June 15. He said 19 terrorists surrendered before the security personnel. He said 10 soldiers laid down their lives while seven were injured in the line of duty.
Major General Bajwa said North Waziristan had become an abode of terrorists. He said due to the sudden operation, the terrorists were entrapped in North Waziristan and would not be given a chance to escape.
He said all the allegations of Afghan government against the Pakistan Army were baseless. “The operation in North Waziristan was being conducted by the Pakistan Army and it was not assisted by the US or anyone else.”
About the internally displaced persons (IDPs), he said that so far 456,292 people, comprising 36,804 families, had been registered and majority of themwere shifted to their relatives in Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat. He said only a few hundred persons opted to stay in the camps set up for the IDPs.
Giving details, Asim Saleem Bajwa said from January 29 to June 8, some 195 persons had lost their lives in 20 terrorist incidents. He reiterated that North Waziristan had become a stronghold of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and a hub of terrorist activities. “In this backdrop, it was decided to launch an operation aimed at restoring the writ of the government.”
He said the army troops, FC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa troops, Khassadar, Levies, intelligence agencies and Pakistan Air Force were deployed to flush out the terrorists from the area.Major General Bajwa said 50 army personnel, along with 20 NDMA officials, had been deployed for the registration of all IDPs. He said six ration distribution points had been established in Bannu, DI Khan and Tank for provision of food packets and medicines to the IDPs. He said every family was given Rs15,000 besides one month ration as announced by the army. “Of the enlisted IDPs, 221,000 were administered polio drops.”
The DG ISPR said Nadra mobile and Smart Card vans were made available to check the identity of incoming IDPs at the registration centres. About the relief collection points, he said 32 such points had been set up in different cities. To a question, he pointed out that 400 Afghan families had crossed over to Afghanistan after the start of the ongoing operation.
He said the whole nation had to play its role to support the armed forces in rooting out terrorism from the country. He also urged the media to create an awareness among the people to wipe out any misperception regarding the operation.
To a query, the DG ISPR said the Afghan government had been requested to take action against those terrorists who could cross over to the Afghan territory to avoid operation. He said that Pakistan had raised voice against the drone attacks as Pakistan armed forces were fully capable of defeating the terrorists. He said joint control rooms had been set up (UAN 1135) in different cities where people could share information about any suspicious person or activity.
Ashrafuddin Pirzada adds from Landikotal: Four militants and three Khassadar force personnel were killed in a clash after about two dozen gunmen attacked the Hawaldari checkpost in the Surkamar area of the Jamrud Tehsil in Khyber Agency on Thursday, local and official sources said.
The sources said at least 12 gunmen, equipped with automatic weapons, stormed the Hawaldari checkpost located on the main Pak-Afghan Highway at around 1:50am during the night.Local sources said the militants besieged the checkpost and opened fire on the soldiers manning it. The lightly armed Khassadar force personnel returned the fire, triggering a gunbattle.
“I heard sounds of firing from different sides when the attack was launched on the checkpost,” said a local tribesman. He added that the firing stopped after a few minutes but it started again when a contingent of the paramilitary Frontier Corps reached the spot to support the besieged Khassadar force personnel.
The security forces, the official sources said, repulsed the attack and killed four attackers. However, the rest of the militants managed to escape.Three Khassadar officials identified as Naib Line Officer Shaukat Khan Afridi, who was recently promoted, and Sepoy Shamshad Afridi and Sepoy Baseer Khan were killed in the clash.
According to an ISPR statement, four paramilitary officials, including Captain Umar, were injured in the attack.The other injured soldiers were identified as Sepoys Umara Khan, Noor Hussain and Abdur Rauf.
Assistant Political Agent Jamrud Roshan Wazir condemned the attack and praised the bravery of the Khassadar force personnel.The funeral prayers for the slain Khassadars were offered in the presence of a large number of people. Roshan Wazir and other officials also attended the funeral.
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