Artillery used to target militants during governor’s visit to Tirah

PESHAWAR: The loud sound of artillery shelling during the visit of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra to Tirah valley on Wednesday reminded all those accompanying him that the fight against the militants in this remote part of Pakistan isn’t finished yet. The Governor had flown in a helicopter to Tirah in Khyber Agency to see the areas close to the frontlines in Rajgal where an air and ground offensive was recently launched to evict the militants and prevent their infiltration from Afghanistan into Pakistan.

The artillery shelling alerted the visitors, but the soldiers present on the occasion were used to it. When asked about the shelling, army officers said it is normally done to remind the militants that the soldiers are alert and ready to react to any threat. An army officer told reporters that three terrorists trying to infiltrate the border from Afghanistan side to enter Rajgal had been sighted and neutralized by taking action against them.