Up to 18 insurgents including a militant commander and some foreigners were killed in the upper Orakzai Agency as the security
forces pounded militant hideouts with mortar shells on Wednesday in an area that has seen a lot of violence in recent times.
Officials claimed that six among the militants who died in the shelling were foreigners – two Arabs and four Tajiks.
According to security officials, security forces fired mortar shells on the militant hideouts in Kago Kamar and Tajika areas of the agency causing heavy losses to the extremists.
They added that an important militant commander was also killed in clashes with the security forces in the Ghundaki area.
The claims could not be independently verified as the area has been closed for journalists.
Upper Orakzai and particularly the areas of Mamozai bordering the Tirah valley of Khyber have been the hub of militancy and a route for intra-agency
militants movement.
The security forces have managed to cut off the movement of militants between Kurram -North Waziristan and Orakzai agencies leading to casualties on both sides. However the situation in the area still remains turbulent.
