ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: A joint operation by the Pakistan armed forces left at least 21 terrorists killed in Shawal area of the North Waziristan tribal region, according to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
In his twitter messages on Tuesday, the Director General ISPR Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa said that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Pakistan Army Aviation continued to carry out air strikes with the support of ground forces n Shawal valley since last night, and so far 21 terrorists have been killed.
The DG ISPR said that the operation still continues to hunt the fleeting terrorists. He said that important heights and passes along the Pak-Afghan border have been secured.
Shawal:Combined with strikes by PAF&Cbt Army aviation,ground force continue hunt for fleeing terrorists through chase,cordon and search op-1
— Gen Asim Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) March 8, 2016
21 terrorists killed since last night.
Ops continue.Imp heights&passes along Pak-Afgn Bdr secured.Valley’s sanitisation in progress-2— Gen Asim Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) March 8, 2016
Shawal Update: Sanitisation of Shawal Valley in progress.Ops continue pic.twitter.com/qSIxzGAWmV
— Gen Asim Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) March 8, 2016
The joint operation as part of the Zarb-e-Azb was carried out hours after 16 people were martyred and 26 wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up at Session Courts in Shabqadar Tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Charsadda District.
The suicide blast was claimed by a splinter group of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Jamatul Ahrar.