Pakistan army claims killing 19 suspected militants in northwestern region

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - The Pakistan army on Thursday claimed to have killed 19 suspected militants in separate operations in northwestern Pakistan over the past 2 days.

At least 14 suspected militants were killed in a security operation in the Mohmand tribal district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after an intense fire exchange, the military said in a statement.

Another five suspected militants were killed in two separate actions in the restive North Waziristan tribal district, which borders neighboring Afghanistan and the Bannu district.

Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from those killed, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in these areas, the statement added.

Sanitization operations are being conducted in the area, as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country, the statement concluded.

Pakistan has logged an uptick in attacks on security forces in recent years, for which it accuses "Afghanistan-based" militants loyal to Tehreek-Taliban Pakistan, a network of several outlawed groups.

Kabul rejects the accusation.