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| India-Pakistan |
| Army drives militants from Hangu villages |
| 2008-07-18 |
| Security forces on Thursday hit militants around Hangu district, clearing several Taliban strongholds, sources told Daily Times. "We have cleared Shamana Fort and Zarguri and Naryab areas north of Hangu," military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told Daily Times by telephone. He added that the "operation will be expanded as some areas are yet to be cleared". In the crackdown launched late on Wednesday, "the security forces, backed by tanks and gunship helicopters, also secured Naryab Dam", local officials said. The spokesman said there were some casualties on the militants' side, adding that the exact numbers were not available. Taliban spokesman Mulla Shaheen confirmed the clashes, conceding that four militants had been wounded. Sources in the security agencies said four vehicles of the militants were also hit in Zarguri and Sarmalo. The militants retaliated by firing rocket-propelled grenades at the security forces that called in gunship helicopters and targeted the area near Torawarey, the sources added. "There's normal resistance and now our troops are advancing," Abbas said, according to AFP. Orakzai: Residents said intermittent mortar fire could be heard, but intelligence and government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said most militants had already fled to Orakzai, a neighbouring tribal region. Security forces launched the crackdown after 15 soldiers were killed in an ambush last weekend. |
| Posted by:Fred |