Air Shelling Kills 8 Militants In NW Pakistan

Islamabad, March 18, IRNA – At least eight militants were killed and several injured in aerial bombing in Pakistan north western tribal region on Saturday, security officials said. At least 42 extremists have been killed by the security forces in the last 24 hours in the tribal areas of Pakistan. According to the sources, 23 militants were killed in air-shelling incidents in different areas. Orakzai Agency, the lone tribal region of Pakistan which does not have borders with Afghanistan, had been once the stronghold of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The security forces had established posts in different parts of Orakzai agency after expelling the militants of most of their former bases. Many TTP leaders also took shelter in Orakzai after they were expelled as the result of major offensive by Pakistani forces in South Waziristan tribal region in 2009. In Kurram agency in the similar shelling incidents, 15 militants were killed. On the other hand in South Waziristan, a security check post was attacked by the militants injuring four civilians and killing four militants./end