ISLAMABAD, March 31: The security forces have killed a senior Taliban commander and one of his accomplices in South Waziristan tribal region, the military said on Friday.
The army spokesman said that “high value terrorist” Mehmood ul Hassan alias Khwaja Madni and his accomplice were killed in cordon and search operation near Jandola, a small town in the region.
The commander belonged to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (Sajna group), which is believed to be active in some parts of South Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan.
Sajna group is one of the TTP’s splinter groups that is composed of the militants from the Mehsud faction of the Taliban. The group is blamed for attacks on the security forces, government officials and tribal elders.
Pakistani forces have cleared most of the areas in South Waziristan; however, the fleeing militants are hiding in rugged mountains.
An army statement said that weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the terrorists’ hideout. The raid was part of a major operation, codenamed “Radd-ul-Fasaad” launched after a series of terrorist attacks killed over 100 people last month.
The statement said that the security forces also carried out intelligence-based operation in Sibbi area of Balochistan province and recovered weapons and ammunition including hand grenades, RPG rockets, anti-tank, anti-personal mines, rifles and 10 kg of explosives.-DNA
