Suspected militant hideouts were targeted by air strikes in North Waziristan Agency since Monday night killing 40 terrorists, according to military sources.
The air strikes were carried out after confirmed intelligence reports about the militants’ whereabouts, sources said. The militants were linked to the bomb blasts in Peshawar on the church and Qissa Khawani bazaar apart from the Bannu attack on Sunday. Scores of militants were injured in these air strikes, the sources said.
The government is under pressure since a while to launch some decisive action against the Pakistan Taliban after the recent spate of attacks in Karachi, the bombing in Bannu Cantonment on Sunday which killed 20 security forces personnel and the blast near the General Headquarters of the army in Rawalpindi on Monday which claimed at least 13 lives.
However, news reports indicated that the air strikes could have killed civilians as well. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has called into question “the parameters of such a military operation.” Shireen Mazari party central information secretary said that already disturbing reports are coming in from North Waziristan where the aerial bombardment has left the local people shelterless and many, including children, have died in this attack. At the very least, the government should have evacuated the area of civilians before allowing any military operation or aerial bombardment, she said.
While the All Parties Conference has mandated the government conduct a dialogue with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the process has not really taken off.
The Prime Minister also called off his trip to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum in view of the terrorist attacks.
