Helicopter gunships and bulldozers destroyed dozens of shops in a restive tribal area of South Waziristan on Tuesday after a bomb attack on a military convoy wounded five soldiers, officials said.
The incident took place in Wana, the main town of troubled South Waziristan district, where the military is battling Taliban militants.
“At least five soldiers were wounded when a bomb planted on a roadside exploded as a military convoy passed,” a local security official said. Security forces immediately launched a search operation and called in air support, he added.
Local administration, intelligence officials and residents said helicopters bombed the market at Wana by-pass road and later bulldozers razed dozens of shops belonging to suspected militants.
A curfew has been imposed in Wana and military helicopters were hovering above, they said.
Earlier on Monday, a major-ranked officer of the Pakistan Army and 22 militants were killed during an attack on a checkpost in Spin Wam area of North Waziristan tribal region’s Mirali tehsil and subsequent retaliatory action by the security forces.
