13 militants killed in Bajaur air strikes

Peshawar, Oct 19 : Around 13 suspected militants were reportedly killed and dozens of houses destroyed in the ongoing bombing by jetfighters and military gunship helicopters in the Bajaur Agency.

The military authorities said on Saturday that jetfighters and gunship helicopters pounded suspected positions of the tribal militants in Mamond and Charmang Tehsils, which are considered as the strongholds of the militants.

In Loisam and the adjoining villages, sources said, seven militants were killed when jetfighters and gunship choppers turn by turn pounded their suspected positions.

Tribal sources said several houses of tribesmen, including Noor Rahman, Yar Khan, Zafar, Gul Rahman, Abdul Akbar Khan, Noor Zaman, Sher Mohammad, Noor Rahim, Sher Zamin, Tahir, Ghulam Sadiq and Ziaur Rahman were levelled to the ground when warplanes heavily bombarded Janat Shah Koruna near Rashakai in Khar Tehsil at around 8:00 a.m.

Interestingly, official and tribal sources said the village was famous for its anti-militant stance and was the only village where militants had never been welcomed.

No casualty was reported as the tribesmen had already vacated the village and shifted their families to Dir, Charsadda, Mardan and Peshawar due to the clashes between the security forces and militants for the past two and a half month in Bajaur.

Similarly, military officials said that the fighter planes and helicopters pounded positions of the militants in their stronghold of Mamond Tehsil, killing six militants and causing injuries to several others.

They said the planes targeted Badano, Seway, Omari and various other villages where militants had set up sanctuaries and were still in control of the area.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Maulvi Omar, said they would not lay down arms before successful talks with the government.

He said he was wrongly quoted by certain media organisations recently about the proposal for restoration of peace to the region.

Omar, who is hiding for quite some time, said they would not refuse mediation if anyone came forward to negotiate a permanent settlement between them and the government.

ANI