Pakistani jets kill 10 in tribal region
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, Dec 25, IRNA -- Pakistani fighter planes Friday bombed the hideouts of suspected militants in a tribal region and killed 10 people, officials and locals said.
Eight other people were injured when aircraft dropped bombs at the bases in Orakzai tribal agency, they said.
Officials said that the aircraft targeted hideouts of the militants but locals said that women and children were among those killed and injured.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said earlier this month that the security forces have ended operation against the militants in South Waziristan and will be launching operation in Orakzai agency.
Officials said that Taliban militants have fled to Otrakzai agency from South Waziristan where some 30,000 troops launched major offensives in October.
Military officials say that upto 600 militants have been killed in the operation and that the region has been taken over by the army.
An official said that fighter jets hit two bases of the militants at Feroz Khel area in Lower Orakzai agency early Friday and killed 10 militants and injured 8 others.
He said that two hideouts and four vehicles of the militants were destroyed.
Locals said that the aircraft bombed the house of a local tribal elder Malik Zikria and killed three children and four women.
Witnesses said that locals pulled the bodies and injured out of the rubbles and the injured were shifted to two hospitals in the area.
Officials believe that the militants in South Waziristan have also fled to other tribal regions including North Waziristan, Kurram and Khyber.
**1420
End News / IRNA / News Code 862299
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