Seven FC men martyred, one missing in Dir
At least seven Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were martyred and 13 others injured during a search and strike operation against militants in the Sar Banda area of Maidan in Lower Dir on Thursday.
According to official sources, one FC soldier was also reported missing after a fierce gun battle with militants in the mountainous terrain within the jurisdiction of Lal Qila police station. The militants had taken positions and opened fire on a security convoy.
The wounded were shifted to Lal Qila Hospital, and later referred to District Headquarters Hospital Timergara.
Police officials said a heavy contingent of police, Elite Force and Dir Scouts remained in the area as the operation continued.
Security forces also claimed to have inflicted “significant losses” on the militants, though no details were immediately provided.
Lal Qila was once a stronghold of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM), led by Maulana Sufi Muhammad.
His son-in-law, Mullah Fazlullah, became the head of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and fled to Afghanistan during the 2009 military offensive in Malakand. He was later killed in an air strike in Afghanistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for the successful operations. In their statements, both leaders lauded the bravery and professionalism of the troops in eliminating 19 militants,
APP reported.
“Pakistan is determined to eliminate Indian-sponsored terrorism,” President Zardari said, reaffirming the nation’s resolve to completely eradicate terrorism and praying for the safety and success of the security forces. PM Shehbaz also commended the security forces for successful operations in Mohmand, North Waziristan and Bannu, reiterating that the war against terrorism would continue until its complete elimination from the country.
Police post
Separately, militants launched a late-night assault on the Lajbook police post. Police sources said personnel deployed there repelled the attack after several hours of firing, forcing the militants to retreat. No casualties were reported.
In another development, the Lower Dir district administration imposed Section 144 on Thursday, banning the flying of drones, quadcopters and balloons across the district. Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Arif Khan directed assistant commissioners and police officials to ensure strict enforcement, warning that violators would face legal action.
19 militants killed
At least 19 militants were killed in three separate encounters with security forces across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.
“On 9-10 Sept, nineteen Khawarij belonging to Indian Proxy, Fitna al Khawarij were sent to hell in three separate engagements in KP” the ISPR said in a statement.
According to the statement, 14 militants were killed after troops engaged their hideout in an intense exchange of fire in the Guluno area of Mohmand district.
Another operation in Datta Khel, North Waziristan, left four more militants dead, while a separate encounter in Bannu resulted in the killing of one militant.
Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain fighters, who, the ISPR said, had been involved in numerous attacks in the region. Troops were carrying out sanitisation operations to clear the area of remaining militants.
The ISPR reiterated that security forces were committed to wiping out “the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism” from the country.
Meanwhile, tribal elders of the Toji Khel tribe in South Waziristan resolved in a meeting on Sept 9 not to allow militants to operate from their soil. They warned militants to leave the area or face exile.
The elders also announced strict penalties, including demolition of houses and a fine of Rs2 million, against anyone found facilitating militants with food, shelter or other assistance.
Security forces repel assault on police post in Lajbook; Section 144 imposed; 19 militants killed in separate operations across KP.
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