The cycle will just keep going on....the Taliban rise up to show the Pakistani government that they can strike any time they want, the government sits on their hands until the people scream loud enough then they conduct a couple of military missions to remind the Taliban that they can hurt them and then there is some quiet for a month and then....yep, start the cycle all over again.
The story comes from DAWN.
Jets pound suspected militant hideouts in North Waziristan
PESHAWAR: Pakistan military's fighter jets pounded several suspected militant hideouts in Mir Ali area of the North Waziristan tribal region, killing at least 24 people and wounding 15 others, DawnNews quoted military sources as saying.
The air strikes took place as domestic pressure grew on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to take tougher action against Taliban militants following a string of attacks across the country in the past week.
“This hadn't been planned before, and Pakistan Air Force jets were called to hit hideouts of the militants involved in attacks on security forces,” said one military official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Tribal elder Malik Jan Mohammad in Mir Ali said 15 people were killed whereas a Taliban source put the death toll at 27, including civilians.
Military sources said fighter jets were only targeting militant hideouts. Residents said the bombardment started overnight without any warning.
“We were all asleep when the planes started bombing the village,” said Khyal Zaman, a tribesman from Esori village in Mir Ali. “We had no idea what happened in the dark and those who survived came out of their homes in desperation along with children and started walking away into the open.”
The army was not immediately available for a comment.
Fear and panic gripped the areas struck by the overnight blitz which flattened several houses, following which gunship helicopters conducted fresh strikes in the morning causing locals to flee the volatile area for safer places, according to the DawnNews report.
The localities where the military strikes were conducted included Hamzoni village, Mohammadkhel village of Dattakhel tehsil in North Waziristan, Shera Tala area, Harmaz village, Moski village and other areas of North Waziristan.
Sources said those wounded in the attacks could not be shifted to hospitals for treatment due to a curfew imposed in the area.
North Waziristan is one of the seven regions in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) governed by tribal laws. An extremist insurgency led by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) plagues the region and the area is known to be infested with militants, including those from Al Qaeda and other armed extremist organisations.
The region, which lies along the Pak-Afghan border, also comes under attacks from US drones frequently which target militant hideouts in the area.
Checkpost attacked
A security checkpost was attacked my unknown militants in Tora Wari area of Doaba town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Hangu district on Tuesday.
At least one security man was killed in the attack.
The security source said that the militants fled after the police returned the fire.
Other sources said that the militants also set ablaze the checkpost.
Meanwhile, security forces have launched offensive in Tirah Valley area of Khyber tribal region in which casualties were feared.
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