PESHAWAR: Two security personnel and seven suspected militants, said to be Uzbeks, were killed in clashes as security forces carried out a search and clearance operation in Dattakhel area of North Waziristan tribal region on Monday.

According to the update on Operation Zarb-i-Azb issued by ISPR, the military’s media wing, Naib Subedar Mashkoor and Lance Naik Zaheer were killed when militants attacked a group of security personnel who were carrying out a search operation in villages on Miramshah-Dattakhel road.

Troops conducted a snap operation on the hideouts of Uzbek terrorists in Dattakhel Bazaar, killing seven of them, the ISPR said.

The security forces claimed to have cleared Miramshah, Mirali, Boya and Degan up to Dattakhel and action was under way in the villages of Momin Gul Ziarat, Darpakhel, Tappi, Spalga and the south of Tochi River to clear pockets of resistance between Miramshah and Mirali.

A large quantity of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and suicide jackets were seized in areas near Mirali in Shahbaz Khel along with 75 rockets, chemicals and propaganda literature, it said.

Security forces also found an IED-manufacturing factory in Umer Ki Kalli.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2014