24 militants killed in Tirah Valley

BARA: Twenty-four militants were killed and five others sustained injuries when Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft pounded their hideouts in Tirah Valley, Khyber Agency, official sources said on Sunday.
The sources said that security forces targeted hideouts of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) in Dars Jumaat, Sandana, Takhtakai and Khyber Sangar in Tirah Valley.
Also, they said five hideouts of the militants were destroyed in the bombardment.Security forces carried out the air strikes and artillery shelling on the militant hideouts in Kukikhel, Sepah, Akakhel and Kamarkhel areas in Tirah Valley.
“The residents of Malikdinkhel Bagh and Bar Bar Qambarkhel Bagh are facing problems as the security forces are using heavy weapons against the militants in the ongoing Operation Khyber-2 in the lower parts of Tirah valley,” said Usman Afridi, a resident of Bar Bagh.Some Private TV channels also aired unconfirmed reports on killing of TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah in Tirah raids. TTP sources, however, denied such reports.
About 100 militants were killed and several injured in the shelling and bombardment during the last one week, official sources said.The sources said the security forces occupied many hideouts of the militants including Sandapal and Shalobar mountain tops during the clashes as the soldiers made advance in these areas.