Islamabad, July 21: In a major flare up, Pakistani forces have killed around 100 Taliban militants and lost three soldiers in two days of fighting in the restive Malakand division, which the army had claimed to have cleared of insurgents some time ago. A “massive military operation” was launched yesterday in five villages in Maidan area of Lower Dir district as security forces apprehended that most of the Taliban militants who had fled from the Swat valley were sheltering in the area.
Troops blasted suspected Taliban hideouts with rockets and heavy mortars, a media report said. Some 300 Taliban fighters were believed to be hiding in these villages.
“The aim of the operation was to eliminate the militants who were hiding in Maidan after fleeing Swat operation,” a spokesman for the Frontier Corps was quoted by TV channels. Ground forces backed by tanks, artillery and mortars stormed militant positions in Sherkhanay, Shedas, Misrikhanay, Sangolai and Saparay villages.
The operation against the militant hideouts continued for about 18 hours. The rebels had built bunkers and hideouts from which they carried out rocket attacks on the security forces camp in Timergara.
—-Agencies