I know you don't want to hear this, but this is simply not the way to go. Airpower should be avoided entirely, or used only when real time intelligence is available about a high value target in a particular building at a particlar moment. After these strikes, what does the military have to show for it? Can they name the terrorists who died, like Americans do after a drone strike? No. On the other hand, you have terrified villagers who had to flee in the middle of the night, and will now be fresh meat for recruitment by the TTP. You cannot win against guerillas by dropping bombs from the air. You will have to do it with boots on the ground.
Jets pound suspected militant hideouts in North Waziristan - DAWN.COM
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.
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.
— Zahir Shah Sherazi contributed to the reporting of this story
well....just a question,,,.can air force conduct offensive operations inside there own country??
somethng like this happnd in my region some time back,,,,it was a HIND(heli),,if I can remember....n it became a big issue.....
When and where was that? India has not used aerial firepower to combat insurgencies in its territory, since the early 60s when it used the IAF against Mizo insurgents. That was the first and last time.