At least 19 suspected terrorists were killed on Tuesday in precise aerial strikes on terrorist hideouts in Dandi Kachkol near Ghulam Khan, Gurbaz and Mana near Pasht Ziarat in North Waziristan Agency, said a statement issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). However, this information could not be independently verified as the access of media is restricted in the region.
Military operation Zarb-i-Azb was launched by the Pakistan Army on June 15 following a brazen militant attack on Karachi’s international airport and failure of peace talks between the government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) negotiators.
The Taliban and their ethnic Uzbek allies both claimed responsibility for the attack on Karachi airport, which was seen as a strategic turning point in how Pakistan tackles the insurgency.
Nearly a million people have fled the offensive in North Waziristan, which is aimed at wiping out longstanding militant strongholds in the area, which borders Afghanistan.
