At least five suspected terrorists were killed and five terrorist hideouts were destroyed on Saturday after jet fighters pounded areas of the North Waziristan Agency as part of Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
One Pak Army soldier was also martyred when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off during a clearance operation in NWA.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the security forces launched airstrikes to eliminate terrorists inside Miranshah, headquarters of NWA, and Boya village, who were opposing the armed forces.
According to reports, most of the militants killed in the strikes were Uzbeks.
Sources said that suspected militant hideouts in Daigan, Poikhel and Muhammadkhel areas were targeted and destroyed during the airstrikes. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was also destroyed.
So far, more than 400 suspected terrorists, mostly foreigners, have been killed during the operation, while at least 19 IED manufacturing factories have been unearthed by security forces in parts of Miranshah.
Insiders said that IEDs were recovered from most of the houses in Miranshah and most of the roads in the area were planted with explosives and landmines.
An officer privy to the developments in the military operation claimed that foreign fighters of all origins had made the locals hostage.
The officer added that during search operations, security forces recovered literature and flags of different international militant organisations, including the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). Literature in unknown languages was also found during the search operations, he said.
