Over 70 militants killed in operation in North Pakistan

The death toll of suspected militants reaches seventy as the security operation against them continues for the third day in north Waziristan tribal area killing at least five more suspected militants on Friday, said officials. According to security officials, troops backed by helicopter gunships targeted the militants?’ hideouts in Defgan area of Mir Ali. A curfew has been imposed in the tribal area as forces continue to attack these hideouts. Scores of suspected militants have been killed in the air strikes and ground offensive over the last couple of days. The security forces entered the Machis Camp area, a stronghold of the militants backed by the foreign fighters on the outskirts of Miramshah tribal region where they blew up militant bases in the area while artillery and jet fighters struck another insurgent base in Sokhel Wazir, said local media reports. Security has been beefed up at all important government installations, in the capital city Islamabad and in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the wake of possible threats of attacks by the militants in reaction to the operation. Pakistan military launched the operation on Wednesday killing at least sixty suspected militants including foreign fighters and wounded over thirty others through helicopter gunships and fighter jets. The operation was launched a day after the Prime Minister of Pakistan; Muhammad Nawaz Sharif chaired a high-level security meeting in Islamabad that was attended by top military officials including Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif.