13 terrorists killed, soldier martyred in Operation Khyber-IV

RAWALPINDI: So far 13 terrorists have been killed and a soldier martyred in Operation Khyber-4 launched by the army in the Rajgal Valley of Khyber Agency, citing a statement of ISPR, ARY News reported.

Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General had announced launching of Khyber-4 military campaign on July 16 under Operation Radd ul Fassad in the critical area in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to wipe out terrorists from the region.

According to the ISPR, Operation Khyber-4 is moving ahead as planned. Advancing in the multiple directions troops including special services group have cleared 90 square kilometer area of terrorists and squeezing them out.

It said terrorist had laid a number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which were detected, recovered and neutralized by the army’s engineers counter IED teams.

“Many terrorists hideouts have been destroyed in targeted strikes by Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Army Aviation and Artillery. So far 13 terrorists have been killed and 16 injured. During exchange of fire a soldier Sepoy Abdul Jabbar laid his life for the motherland”, the ISPR statement said.

The operation Khyber-4 aims to secure the international border with Afghanistan by preventing Daesh and other local militants on Afghan side of the border from infiltration.

Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor on Sunday reiterated that Daesh has no presence in Pakistan but the area, next to the Afghan border, is being used by militants affiliated to it. “The militant organisation’s influence is growing on other side of the border,” he added.

Hoping to secure the border unilaterally, he said the operation would not be easy in the area being mountainous and having tough terrain. “The operation will continue till complete hold on Khyber Agency,” he asserted.

“There will never be any foreign boots on our ground,” said Maj Gen Ghafoor when talking about collaborative efforts against terrorism on the Pak-Afghan border.