Security Forces Kill 7 Militants In NW Pakistan

Islamabad, July 25, IRNA – Pakistani security forces killed at least seven militants in country’s north western tribal region on Tuesday, media reports said. Reports quoting government sources claimed that militants’ hideouts were shelled in Orakzai agency’s areas of Mamuzai and Kotakhel. Several militants were also injured and two of their hideouts were destroyed. 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 base. But they are still hiding in several remote and hilly areas and launch attacks on the forces. 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. Orakzai had been relatively peaceful tribal region before the Taliban activities there. Meanwhile, a gunmen attacked a convoy of container trucks in Jamrud tribal region, carrying supplies to NATO troops in Afghanistan, killing one of the drivers, officials said. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had threatened to attack the Afghanistan-bound NATO supply vehicles. Pakistan on July 3 decided to reopen routes to NATO convoys crossing into Afghanistan, after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said sorry for the air strike deaths last November./end