Attack foiled: Seven terrorists killed in North Waziristan

WAZIRISTAN: Security forces on late Tuesday killed seven terrorists while foiling an attack near Pakistani border post in North Waziristan, according to Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR).

The military’s public affairs wing said during the exchange of fire, seven terrorists were killed while three injured.

On Sep 15, security forces had killed four terrorists during an intelligence-based operation conducted against a group of terrorists hiding in Manghochar area of Kalat. Two soldiers were martyred in the operation.

The terrorists were planning to conduct major terrorist activities in Balochistan. In exchange of fire two soldiers also got injured, ISPR said in the statement. Two suicide jackets, large quantity of explosives and weapons and ammunition were also recovered.

In February 2017, Pakistan Army had launched a counter-terror operation named ‘Radd-ul-Fasaad’ across the country and hundreds of militants have surrendered and several were killed after the operation was initiated.

The operation was aimed at indiscriminately eliminating residual and latent threat of terrorism, consolidating gains of operations made thus far and further ensuring security of the borders.

The military had said “the country wide de-weaponisation and explosive control were additional cardinals of the effort. The statement also highlighted that pursuance of the National Action Plan, which was formed after Peshawar school attack in 2014, will be the hallmark of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.

In 2014, the military had launched a full scale military offence Zarb-e-Azb with the staunch determination to wipe out hotbeds of militants in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) that was a strategically important agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) bordering Afghanistan.

The following were the major operations carried out by security forces against terrorists in the recent past:

Operation Rah-e-Haq-I, II and III in Swat (2007-09); Operation Sirat-e-Mustaqeem in Khyber Agency (2008); Operation Sherdil launched with Frontier Corps in Bajaur Agency (2008); Operation Rah-e-Rast in Swat (2009); Operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan (2009).