15 feared killed in air attack

Published August 10, 2007

MIRAMSHAH, Aug 9: At least 15 people were feared dead after army’s helicopter gunships attacked the Degan village in North Waziristan on Thursday evening following a roadside explosion which left four soldiers injured, witnesses and security officials said.

They said the helicopters bombed residential compounds and other infrastructure, destroying a petrol pump and five vehicles.

Witnesses claimed that most of the people killed in the air strike were ordinary tribesmen.

“The shelling was so intense that the entire area reverberated with loud explosions,” they said, adding that the shelling continued for half-an-hour.

(An official spokesman insisted that most of those killed were militants.)

The four soldiers were injured when a roadside explosive device went off near the Boya checkpoint on the Miramshah-Datakhel road.

Residents said a military convoy was on way to Miramshah when one of the vehicles in the convoy hit a roadside bomb near the checkpoint. The wounded soldiers were taken to hospital.

On Wednesday night, militants fired several rockets at the paramilitary base in Miramshah. One of the rockets hit the air strip near the base, but caused no damage or casualties. Three rockets were fired at the Saidgai checkpoint in the region.

Opinion

Editorial

Kurram ceasefire
Updated 26 Nov, 2024

Kurram ceasefire

DESPITE efforts by the KP government to bring about a ceasefire in Kurram tribal district, the bloodletting has...
Hollow victory
26 Nov, 2024

Hollow victory

THE conclusion of COP29 in Baku has left developing nations — struggling with the mounting costs of climate...
Infrastructure schemes
26 Nov, 2024

Infrastructure schemes

THE government’s decision to finance priority PSDP schemes on a three-year rolling basis is a significant step...
Anti-women state
Updated 25 Nov, 2024

Anti-women state

GLOBALLY, women are tormented by the worst tools of exploitation: rape, sexual abuse, GBV, IPV, and more are among...
IT sector concerns
25 Nov, 2024

IT sector concerns

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ambitious plan to increase Pakistan’s IT exports from $3.2bn to $25bn in the ...
Israel’s war crimes
25 Nov, 2024

Israel’s war crimes

WHILE some powerful states are shielding Israel from censure, the court of global opinion is quite clear: there is...