At least 123 militants killed in Pak tribal belt clashes

At least 123 militants have been killed and over 50 injured in fresh anti-terror operations launched by Pakistani security forces to flush out Taliban fighters from their hideouts in lawless tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.

At least 123 militants have been killed and over 50 injured in fresh anti-terror operations launched by Pakistani security forces to flush out Taliban fighters from their hideouts in lawless tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.

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Pakistani security forces killed three militants in a gun battle in the restive Malakand division in the country’s northwest while nine militants and a 10-year-old boy trained by the Taliban voluntarily surrendered, officials said on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off regarding the presence of militants near Alpurai in Swat valley, troops conducted a cordon and search operation in the area. During a subsequent exchange of fire, the security forces killed three militants and apprehended two more.

A 10-year-old boy, who was trained by the militants, voluntarily surrendered to security forces at Nagwa, the military said in a statement. Nine militants surrendered to security forces at Bilogram, Odigram, Hazara, Guljaba and Peochar.

Paramilitary troops killed 43 militants yesterday in the Khyber tribal region, where a crackdown on the banned Lashkar-e-Islam and other militant groups was launched six days ago, reports said on Sunday. The operation was launched after a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a border post on August 28, killing 22 members of a militia.

Fifty seven rebels were killed and over 100 others arrested in the Khyber agency earlier, Tariq Hayat Khan, the chief administrator of the region.