PESHAWAR, 13 December 2007 — Pakistani troops killed 20 militants in an ongoing offensive against supporters of a pro-Taleban cleric in Swat while 15 militants and six soldiers were killed in an ambush and firefight in North Waziristan.
Troops pounded suspected hide-outs in the valley’s Puchaar and Loee Namal towns. The operation, which started overnight and continued into yesterday morning, killed 20 militants, a security official said, requesting anonymity.
Provincial government spokesman Amjad Iqbal confirmed the attack, saying that troops “extensively engaged militant locations, which resulted in a number of militant casualties.” Earlier, 20 supporters of pro-Taleban cleric Maulana Fazlullah — who has been leading a campaign to impose Shariah law in the region — were killed and up to 15 hurt in an artillery barrage.
According to government reports, around 330 militants have been killed in the area in recent weeks during an army campaign to clear the scenic valley of militants. The military said Saturday that almost all had been forced out.
In a separate incident troops shot dead one person and wounded two others for violating curfew restrictions in the troubled town of Fizaghat, residents said.
The valley remains under a dusk to dawn curfew since the troops launched the operation late last month. Fazlullah, who is in hiding, is known as “Mullah Radio” for broadcasting fiery speeches over his private FM radio station. The cleric has called for a holy war against the Pakistan government.
In Miranshah, local officials said 15 militants and six soldiers were killed in an ambush and firefight.
“First a bomb planted on the roadside exploded when the convoy was passing through the area. After that, militants hiding on both sides of the road fired rockets at them,” a local official said on condition of anonymity.
Troops then opened fire on the attackers and a firefight ensued. “Fifteen militants were killed and six soldiers embraced martyrdom,” army spokesman Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad told AFP.
Earlier in the day militants struck twice at military convoys in the area, leaving six soldiers wounded.
Four were hurt when a remote-controlled bomb exploded as their convoy was heading to Miranshah, they said. The wounded were reported to be in serious condition.
A similar blast earlier damaged a military vehicle and wounded two soldiers, another security official told AFP.
He said another crudely made bomb exploded harmlessly near a checkpoint on the outskirts of Miranshah, while soldiers also defused two other bombs in the same region.
