Army major, five militants killed in NWA clash

MIRANSHAH: A major of the Pakistan Army and five militants were killed in a clash in the Dattakhel area of North Waziristan on Friday.
Official sources said the militants fired four rockets at the military camp in Dattakhel located near the border with Afghanistan. Geo News reported that Major Zahid Iqbal was martyred in the attack.
Security officials said the troops immediately launched a search operation in the area and killed five militants during a clash.A resident of Mansehra, Major Zahid Iqbal was commissioned in the Pakistan Army in 1999 and left behind two sons.
After launching a full-scale military operation in North Waziristan on June 15, 2014, security forces reportedly cleared most of the area of the militants but were now facing resistance from the local and foreign fighters in the mountainous Dattakhel area.
The troops had conducted a ground offensive in Mir Ali and Miranshah, the two major towns of North Waziristan, which once remained the strongholds of local and foreign militants. Security forces had to use fighter jets and helicopter gunships against the militants in Dattakhel due to difficult terrain and its proximity to the Afghan border.
The government and military authorities had earlier announced they would start phase-wise repatriation of the displaced tribesmen from February 15 to their villages in Mir Ali and Miranshah areas. It had generated hopes among the displaced people of returning home soon and they even congratulated each other and celebrated the announcement.The deadline expired a few days ago but the government is yet to fulfil its commitment.