Pakistani Taliban killed in Paktika air strike

PESHAWAR: An unspecified number of Pakistani Taliban fighters were killed when foreign forces carried out an airstrike in coordination with Afghan troops in Barmal district of Paktika province on Thursday, Afghan officials claimed.

Aircrafts of the foreign forces in coordination with Afghan troops targetted and killed many Pakistani Taliban fighters in Daman area of Marghay in Barmal district, provincial assembly’s Deputy Chairman Naimatullah Babari told Afghan Islamic Press (AIP).

He said the Taliban were involved in attacks in Afghanistan as well as in Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan. They had fled to Afghanistan as a result of operations by Pakistani security forces in Waziristan, he added.

However, he said he had no accurate information about the death toll of Pakistani Taliban. “Initial information showed that 10 to 15 Pakistani Taliban have been killed in the attack,” he added. Meanwhile, Paktika governor’s spokesman Nabiullah Pirkhel confirmed the airstrike but was short of information about casualties and their nationalities.