The Pakistan forces killed eight militants during a crackdown in Mamuzai area of Upper Dir on Tuesday.
The forces shelled the hideouts of militants in Upper Dir, killing eight militants near the Afghan border, a private television reported. The operation comes two days after militants from Afghanistan launched an attack on Pakistani posts, killing six security officials in the area. Seven paramilitary soldiers were beheaded later on Monday. Pakistan had lodged a strong protest with Afghan and NATO authorities and demanded action against militants. Pakistan had also warned of cross-border raids on Afghan militants if NATO and Afghan forces failed to take concrete action.
Islamabad also summoned the Afghan envoy to lodge a protest over the cross-border raids. Pakistan said it had been repeating its demand of action against militants, but to no avail. Meanwhile on Tuesday, a security force camp was targeted with two missiles by militants in Miranshah, North Waziristan. In retaliation, forces destroyed several hideouts of militants.
No causalities were reported in the incident. Also, a foreign news agency claimed that thousands of Afghan villagers had been forced to flee their homes following cross-border artillery and rocket attacks from Pakistan. The shelling was reported in eastern Kunar province after Pakistan accused Afghanistan of giving safe haven to militants who infiltrated the border to kill 13 Pakistani soldiers.
“More than 500 families have been displaced in two districts of Dangam and Nari due to continued Pakistani rocket shelling in the past two weeks,” said Wasefullah Wasef, a spokesman for the provincial government in Kunar. “The shelling has intensified after the recent incident in which some Pakistani soldiers were killed by the Taliban,” Wasef told AFP. He said officials “believe” the rockets were fired by Pakistani troops, who were operating along the border against homegrown Islamist insurgents.
