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263 militants, 35 soldiers killed in Khyber Agency operation in Pakistan

Xinhua, April 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least 263 militants and 35 soldiers were killed in the ongoing military operation in Pakistan 's northwest tribal area of Khyber Agency, an army statement said Wednesday.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistani army released the statement saying the troops killed the hard core terrorists after surrounding them in restive Tirah Valley area of Khyber Agency, a militancy-infested tribal region along Pakistan- Afghanistan border.

Special Engineering unit of the army has also detonated 392 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the area, said the statement.

The statement came after the country's chief of Army Staff ( COAS), General Raheel Sharif, visited Khyber Agency Wednesday to examine the progress of frontline troops in the operation.

The COAS was told that the military has taken full control of the highly important Musatil Pass which leads to Afghanistan.

Earlier local media reports said the pass was used by militants to sneak into Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The same pass was used by the militants to escape to Afghanistan after the commencement of high-profiled Operation Zarb- e-Azb and Operation Khyber in tribal areas by the Pakistani military.

The statement said the terrorist strongholds have been reduced in the area since the operation, and the military currently is battling terrorists in the last few areas close to the Afghan border.

The operation has tightened the noose along the militants and there is no place left for them to escape.

The COAS lauded the sacrifices made by the soldiers in the line of duty and directed them to continue the momentum of the operation till its logical conclusion.

The COAS also appreciated tribal people for their support to evict terrorists from their areas and vowed that the militants will not be allowed to return the area.

Earlier in September 2014, Pakistani army announced an offensive "Operation Khyber 1" against the militants in Bara area of Khyber agency, which successfully came to an end in March this year.

Now the military is carrying out "Operation Khyber 2" in Tirah Valley of the Khyber agency. Endi