Pakistan army heliborne troops land in Taliban stronghold
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, May 13, IRNA -- Pakistan army heliborne troops have been successfully heli dropped in a stronghold and training center of militants in Swat valley, the army said Tuesday.
“Their mission is to conduct search and destroy operations,” the army spokesamn Major General Athar Abbas told a news conference in Islamabad,
Troops were dropped in Peochar, a valley some 30 kilometers north of Mingora, the main city in Swat.
A statement from the government-run media center in Swat said that four Taliban were also killed in a clash near Imam Dhery, the headquarters of Taliban leader Maulana Fazalullah.
The statement said the troops have taken positions and there had been no resistance.
“The operation is progressing smoothly and militants are on the run,” Athar Abbas said.
He said security forces in Swat, Shangla, Lower Dir and Buner have achieved considerable success and so far 751 militants have been killed in the on-going operation.
He said the criminal elements, who had earlier joined Taliban militants in Swat, are deserting them along with new recruits.
He said during the conduct of operation, measures have been taken to avoid collateral damage. “Only the confirmed hide outs and strongholds in the valleys and on the mountains have been targeted from air”.
He said air strikes are conducted where sure information and intelligence is available about training camps, hideouts, ammunition dumps and logistics being used by militants. He said so far the security forces have not gone into the populated areas except small areas on the shoulders. “Villagers are also given warning before start of action against militants”.
General Abbas said so far 29 personnel of security forces have been killed and 77 others received injuries during the operation.
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