910 militants killed since June: Pakistan

Pakistan’s army says it has killed over 900 pro-Taliban militants since the beginning of a major operation launched in June in the country’s tribal northwest near Afghanistan.

Pakistani jets and artillery started hitting militant targets in mid-June in an effort to regain full control of North Waziristan district. Ground forces also moved in on June 30.

The offensive was launched after an attack by pro-Taliban militants on Karachi airport on June 8, which killed dozens of people.

“Since start of the operation, 910 terrorists have been killed. Eighty two soldiers have embraced shahadat (martyrdom) in the entire country while fighting against terrorism and 269 were injured,” the army said in a Wednesday statement.

“So far, security forces have cleared major towns of Miranshah, Mirali, Datta Khel, Boya and Degan in North Waziristan, which were considered strongholds of terrorists,” the statement added.

The army statement did not give any details of civilian casualties, but reports from residents fleeing the fighting have indicated numerous civilians have been killed.

The military has said civilians were given plenty of warning to leave conflict areas.

Meanwhile, the umbrella Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has issued a statement accusing the army of exaggerating its claims.

The statement, signed by spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan and written in English said that in the clashes only 25 to 30 members of the group were killed.

The militants have carried out numerous attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilians, and managed to spread their influence in various parts of the country despite sporadic offensives by the Pakistani army.

Thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other militant attacks since 2001, when Islamabad entered an alliance with Washington in the so-called war on terror.

MR/AB