Islamabad, April 17 (DPA) At least 21 militants were killed in overnight attacks by soldiers in a tribal district in north-west Pakistan, an officer said Saturday.
The clashes occurred in the Sanghra area of the Orakzai district, where troops backed by armoured vehicles, artillery and fighter jets launched an operation last month.
“Our estimate is that 21 militants have been killed in these attacks,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “A number of their safe areas were also destroyed by the forces.”
Troops launched the operation in Orakzai against Taliban fighters who had retreated to the area to avoid a mid-October offensive in the neighbouring district of South Waziristan.
According to official data, more than 350 insurgents have been killed in the operation, including Arab and Central Asian fighters associated with Al Qaeda.
The death toll could not be verified through independent sources because media and aid workers have no access to the area.
The US government is pressuring Pakistan to eliminate militant safe havens inside its territory, from which they launch attacks against US and other NATO forces in Afghanistan.
