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Briefing reporters about the progress of the operation, military spokesman
Major General Athar Abbas said the security forces were expecting stiff
resistance in Mingora, but the militants started fleeing the area as they came
close of being besieged.
Security Forces have successfully secured Nawagai and Najigram. He said securing
Mingora was a big success as the large city having two istrategic heights
including Saidu and Kamber has transportation links with Malakand, Buner and
Shangla.
At Nawagai a large quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered. The people of
Mingora have started exposing militants who were trying to pose as citizens.
He said 25 miltants including local commanders (Abu Saeed Misbah ud Din and
Sultan Khan) were killed and three were apprehended in various areas of
operation, while one soldier laid down his life and four were injured including
one civilian driver during an exchange of fire.
In Peochar, the training centres of known militant commanders including
commander Lal Din, Said Jalil, Mian Said Liaq were searched and destroyed,
including the training base of Maulana Fazlullah.
He said the security forces have commenced operations towards Kalam, Gulibagh
and secured the area upto Kedam (3 km north of Bahrain).
A soldier and a civilian driver were killed and two soldiers were injured from
an improvised explosive device (IED) near Chamtalai.
During search and clearance operations, miltants attacked troops at Drushkhela
and Asharai, in which local commander Sultan Khan was killed after retaliatory
firing.
About Dir, he said during a search operation at Kambar Bazar, six miscreants
were killed.
He said that upon recieving information about the presence of militants at Kulal
Dheri, a raid was conducted and 10 militants killed.
Referring to the relief activities by Army at Mingora, he said a team of 21
doctors with sufficient medicines have reached Mingora for re-establishing civil
hospital Mingora.
Gas has been restored upto Mingora City. A sufficient number of mobile
generators have been provided to run the water pumping stations. Repair work on
the restoration of electricity in Mingora has started. He said that it will take
at least two weeks to fully restore it.
The military spokesman said the weapons recovered from militant strongholds
included weaponry of American, Russian and Indian origin.
General Athar Abbas said so far 1217 militants have been killed while 79
including foreign nationals have been apprehended. He said 81 security personnel
have so far laid down their lives while 250 sustained injuries. |
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