Pakistani Army Kills 15 in Surprise North Waziristan Attacks

Military Declares Curfew, Attacks Violators

The Pakistani military killed 15 people it described as “terrorists” in North Waziristan today in a surprise day of operations carried out in and around the city of Miramshah.

The military, which only yesterday ruled out an offensive in North Waziristan, arrived in the early morning, declaring a curfew for Miramshah and some nearby villages. All residents were ordered to stay indoors throughout the day.

In a surprisingly heavy-handed operation, helicopter gunships then poured into the area and attacked people who were outside. Officials noted one specific incident in which helicopters attacked a car on the road simply because it was “violating the curfew.” One person in the car was killed and two others wounded.

The military also shelled homes that they believed were occupied by militants, leading to the other deaths and blew up two homes. Ground troops reportedly opened fire on a bus, killing three people and wounding several others.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.