Pakistani forces kill at least 25 suspected Taliban terrorists

Asia-Pacific, News February 5, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Pakistani security forces have killed at least 25 suspected Taliban terrorists and destroyed seven of their hideouts in the northwest of the country near the Afghan border.

The operations were carried out in the Sanzila area of South Waziristan and Khyber’s Tirah Valley on Wednesday, an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said.

Pakistan has intensified its anti-terror campaign following a December 16, 2014, attack on an army-run school in the city of Peshawar, which claimed the lives of about 150 people.

The militant group, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out in retaliation for an ongoing Pakistani military offensive against the militants in the country’s tribal belt.

Following the deadly attack in Peshawar, Pakistan lifted the moratorium on the death penalty in place for about six years. Pakistan is due to execute around 500 militants in the coming weeks. The country has already hanged about 20 militants.

The militant groups in Pakistan have carried out numerous attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilians.

Many Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other militant attacks in the country since 2001, when the Pakistani government entered an alliance with the US in its war on terror.

SRK/AS/MHB