The paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) and the Pakistan Army troops on Tuesday advanced towards the trouble spots in Bajaur Agency where military officials said 12 more suspected militants, including foreigners, were killed in fresh air strikes and artillery shelling.
The security forces continued pounding suspected hideouts of militants in Tang Khatta, Rashkai and Loisam areas.
Military authorities said fighter aircraft and gunship choppers targeted three vehicles near Tang Khatta, which were allegedly carrying militants from Mahmond areas to Loisam to fight along their fellow fighters against the security forces.
Military officials said they learnt from militants’ intercepts that several Taliban sustained injuries in the bombing and artillery shelling.
According to officials, the security forces have been facing a tough resistance from militants in Tang Khatta, Rashkai and Loisam areas of the Khar Tehsil.
They said an Afghan national, Qari Ziaur Rahman, who was earlier fighting against the US-led Nato forces in Kunar and Nuristan provinces of Afghanistan, was leading fighters in Tang Khatta, Rashkai and Loisam areas.
They said Ziaur Rahman had set up sanctuaries in Charmang Tehsil of the troubled region where, security officials said, many foreign nationals, including Arabs, had been hiding.
“They have been fighting with all their strength as they know this battle started by the Pakistani security forces will determine their future,” said an official who requested not to be named.
He said there was no other option for the militants, especially foreigners, who after attacking the US forces in Afghanistan could easily cross into Bajaur to fight for their survival.
Also, officials said militants from all over Bajaur, the adjoining Mohmand, Khyber and South Waziristan tribal regions as well as Afghanistan had come there to fight alongside their fellow fighters as they knew that if they lost Bajaur, there would be no other place for them to operate in rest of the border regions.
“I am sure they will fight down to the last bullet as they would never like to lose Bajaur which is serving all their purposes. It was Bajaur from where they could easily cross into Afghanistan, Dir and Swat and also other tribal regions.”
However, despite using warplanes, gunship choppers and artillery shelling, the troops are still at a distance from militant strongholds in Mahmond and Charmang subdivisions.
Meanwhile, the authorities on Tuesday relaxed curfew from 8 am to 3 pm in Haji Lawang, Jaar, Khar, Yousafabad, Skandaro, in Khar Tehsil and Qazaafi area of Utmankhel Tehsil.
However, in rest of the tribal region, curfew remained intact, which was clamped 13 days ago.
The authorities had disconnected power supply to the entire Bajaur on August 19. They have also banned food supplies to areas under control of the militants.
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