Pakistan’s army announced on Sunday that 80 militants have so far been killed in a fierce military offensive against Taliban fighters in northwest Buner district.
Helicopter gunships and ground troops have been pounding militant hideouts in Buner and neighbouring Lower Dir district in a nearly week-long assault against Taliban insurgents who have infiltrated the volatile area.
The army had previously put the death toll in Buner at 55 to 60, and said that altogether more than 200 militants have been killed in both districts since Operation Black Thunder began.
“In the Buner operation so far, 80 militants have been killed while three soldiers embraced shahadat (martyrdom) and eight others were injured,” the military said.
“Reportedly militant commander Khalil has been killed in the Buner operation. His real name is Alam Buneri and he was a mainstream leader of the banned organisation TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan),” it added.
TTP is Pakistan’s umbrella Taliban organisation and is led by Baitullah Mehsud, accused by the former government of masterminding the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
Weapons are ornament of Muslims: Taliban
Describing weapons as “ornament of the Muslims”, the Taliban on Sunday refused to lay down arms even as nearly 200 militants were killed in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province after military launched operations against them last weekend.
{{/usCountry}}Describing weapons as “ornament of the Muslims”, the Taliban on Sunday refused to lay down arms even as nearly 200 militants were killed in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province after military launched operations against them last weekend.
{{/usCountry}}“The weapons are the ornament of Muslims so we will not lay down arms,” a Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said.
Khan said US president (Barack) Obama has hinted at abolishing Islamic law in Swat and vowed to keep themselves armed if US advances into Pakistan.