Operation against militants achieving its objective: Pak Army

Islamabad: Pakistan Army on Sunday said it had cleared over 70 percent of a town that was the second largest stronghold of terrorists in North Waziristan tribal region as part of its offensive against local and foreign militants.  The operation ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ launched by the military last month continues to achieve its objectives and is progressing well, the army said in a statement. “After clearance of Miranshah, Boya, Degan from terrorists, Mirali Town alongwith its neighboring villages, the second largest stronghold of terrorists has been 70 percent cleared by security forces till this morning,” it said. House to house searches are continuing and two huge ammunition factories with ammunition stock were recovered on Sunday. Thirty barrels filled with explosives and chemicals used for making IEDs were also recovered from two large underground tunnels during clearance of Mirali, the army said. A massive IED, weighing 5,000 kg was recovered from Boya, and was defused by the expert Counter IED team of Army Engineers. The army said 570 terrorists had been killed since the start of the offensive and 98 terrorists hideouts destroyed. Thirty IED making factories, three ammunition making factories, number of suicide bomber training centres have also been destroyed during the operation. Huge cache of arms, communication equipment, propaganda literature have been recovered. So far 34 security forces personnel have been killed in the operation. Relief work was also going on to help about one million people displaced by the fighting. PTI