PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: At least 25 foreign and local militants were killed early Tuesday as military jets bombed suspected terrorist hideouts in North Waziristan, the army said in a statement.
An ISPR spokesman said security forces destroyed six hideouts which included a militant training camp and a bomb-making factory in Dattakhel Tehsil and Hasokhel area. He said operation Zarb-i-Arb, which was launched this Sunday, was progressing as per plan.
More than 187 militants have been killed since the operation was launched in the tribal region.
“The cordon around all terrorists hideouts including in the town of Mirali and Miramshah has been further tightened and reinforced,” said the ISPR statement.
‘Civilian population evacuated’
The military spokesman claimed all civilian population has been safely evacuated after detailed verification.
“Necessary logistics and administrative arrangements for internally displaced people (IDPs) have been made by the political administration and the disaster management agency,” the spokesman said.
“The security of (the) IDP camp is being ensured by army troops,” he said, adding that air surveillance of the operational area was still underway.
Earlier today:
Army chief postpones Sri Lanka visit
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif has postponed his scheduled four-day visit to Sri Lanka.
The ISPR spokesman said the army chief was scheduled to leave for Colombo today but postponed it due to ongoing operation in North Waziristan
Sources told Dawn.com that the army chief is directly supervising operation Zarb-i-Azb and holding daily meetings with concerned military commanders.
15 militants killed
At least 15 more suspected militants were killed in bombings on militant compounds in Hasokhel and Dattakhel areas of the tribal agency.
10 militants killed
10 militants were killed when jets pounded militant hideouts in the Mir Ali Tehsil of the tribal region on Tuesday. The casualties were reported on the third day of the full-scale military operation launched in North Waziristan.
Official sources earlier today said fighter jets targeted militants hideouts in Kushali Torikhel, Khaisur and Hiskhel areas of Mir Ali, leaving 10 dead.
Scores of militants were injured and their hideouts were also destroyed, sources added.
Read more: NWA operation: Seven more militants killed; toll rises to 187
Curfew remained imposed in the area for the fifth consecutive day as all routes leading to North Waziristan remained sealed with no one allowed to move out.
Locals have been told to either register at IDP camps in FR Bannu Baka Khel or leave with relatives moving out of the tribal agency.
New checkposts have been established near Miramshah Bazaar, which has been cordoned off to restrict movement. Tanks have also been deployed at checkposts, and aerial surveillance is also taking place.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) a day earlier had stated that the operation in North Waziristan was progressing "as per plan".
North Waziristan has been isolated by the deployment of troops along its border with neighbouring tribal regions to block movement of terrorists in and out of the agency.
Pakistan Army launched the comprehensive operation against foreign and local terrorists hiding in sanctuaries in North Waziristan tribal region a week after the brazen insurgent attack on the country's busiest airport in Karachi.
Major military operations in Pakistan
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