ISLAMABAD, 12 January 2006 — A day after major clashes, skirmishes between security forces and terrorists continued yesterday, even on the Eid Al-Adha day. A local commander of militants namely Bilal was gunned down by the security forces and few others were injured.
Security forces initiated their search and shoot to kill operation on Tuesday when the militants believed to be Taleban attacked a forward post of the Frontier Corps killing seven security men. In retaliation security forces killed 14 militants.
As the last reports poured in isolated shooting incidents and exchange of firing continued on the outskirts of Miranshah.
In this region the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Frontier Constabullary troops have sealed off townships and are now in a position to deliver decisive blows to the militants.
Gunship Cobra helicopters are doing combat patrolling around Miranshah and Wana to detect the trails of the militants.
Battles are taking place right on Pak-Afghan border where the militants feel safe to sneak out of Pakistan and enter in Afghanistan.
Vice Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ahsan Salim Hayat made a hop to Miranshah on Tuseday to meet the troops and to get on the spot briefing of latest incidents of bloody clashes.
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf himself is set to pay a visit to the region today or tomorrow to back up his troops.
“Those killed by the security forces were not tribesmen or Pakistanis. They were foreigners,” Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan told the media. This region remained a sanctuary for Al-Qaeda and Taleban operatives for the last many months.
Pakistan Army cracked down very heavily and demolished most of the hide-outs and training camps of the militants.
Security forces arrested a few militants but due to the Eid holiday, their details could not be ascertained till late evening.
In another development, two soldiers were killed in Balochistan’s township of Berkot. An army vehicle was destroyed by a land mine killing two soldiers instantly and injuring a few others.
Dera Bugti’s District Coordination Officer Abdul Samad Lasi confirming the incident said, “The area was in the grip of tension since the security forces took over Bugti House in Sui and sieged Dera Bugti.
Bugti tribesmen did retaliate but were neutralized by the Bhombore Rifles and other security forces.
Frontier Corps sources said a few rockets were fired by militants but no loss of life or property was registered in Bolan and Mach areas. Earlier, Bugti tribesmen had destroyed a TV booster with rocket attacks.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Electronic Media Authority (PEMRA) suspended the Dubai-based ARY ONE TV channel of Pakistani businessman Haji Abdul Razzaq but it was restored yesterday after the channel officials held talks with top leaders to have the ban lifted.
PEMRA officials directed the cable operators not to downlink and rebroadcast ARY ONE across Pakistan from Tuseday night.
Mohsin Raza a correspondent of ARY ONE told Arab News, “The ban was imposed for airing an interview with Attaulla Mengal, a Baloch nationalist leader and former chief minister of Balochistan.
