33 takfiri nasbi terrorists killed in airstrikes in North Waziristan

Helicopter gunships on Monday attacked takfiri nasbi militant hideouts in North Waziristan and killed at least 33 of them, the Pakistan military said.

The strikes took place in the Datta Khel and Gharlamai districts of North Waziristan, according to a statement issued to media. “In two different aerial engagements in North Waziristan on Tuesday, nine terrorist hideouts were destroyed killing a total of 33 terrorists,” the statement said.
Local security officials said the militants killed in Datta Khel were mostly Uzbeks and others who belonged to the Haqqani network.
Pakistan has been battling takfiri nasbi groups in its tribal belt since 2004, after its Army entered the region to search for Al Qaeda fighters who had fled across the border following the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.
In June the Army began an offensive, Operation Zarb-e-Azb, against takfiri nasbi militant Taliban’s hideouts in North Waziristan. The Army says it has killed over 1,000 militants and lost 86 soldiers since the start of the operation. But the number and identity of those killed is difficult to verify because journalists do not have regular access to the conflict zones.