Army kills 29 Taliban fighters in Bajaur
20 September, 2012
PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Army on Wednesday said it killed 29 Taliban fighters in the final stage of an operation in Batwar valley of Bajaur Agency. Soldiers used artillery, helicopter gunships and fighter jets against the insurgents, accused of beheading 17 Pakistani soldiers in June. Around 400 militants had crossed from Afghanistan into Pakistan on August 23 and attacked villages, said a senior security official based in Khar, the main town of Bajaur. The army launched operations that killed around 120 militants, another security official said from the border town of Peshawar. Twenty-five soldiers also died in the fighting. "The militants escaped to their sanctuaries in Afghanistan and even left the bodies of their slain fighters," said the Peshawar-based official. He said the armed forces were now establishing posts along that section of the Afghan border to thwart future incursions. A militant spokesman confirmed fighters from several regions staged the attacks. Joint efforts to secure the long and mountainous border along with Afghanistan were hampered by a NATO strike against a Pakistani base last November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and severely damaged relations between Pakistan and the United States for several months. The Batwar valley has now been cleansed of intruders and is under full control of security forces. End.
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