Operation Rah-e-Shahadat explained

Conflict:Operation Rah-e-Shahadat
Partof:the Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
and the Global War on Terrorism
Date:5 April 2013 – 30 June 2013
Place:Tirah Valley, FATA
Result:Pakistani victory[1]
Combatants Header:Commander(s) and Belligerent(s)
Combatant2: Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Swat Taliban
Lashkar-e-Islam
Commander1:Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
LGen Khalid Rabbani
Air Mshl Waseem-ud-din
RAdm Ather Mukhtar
MGen Ghayur Mehmood
Commander2:Hakimullah Mehsud
Maulana Fazlullah
Mangal Bagh Afridi
Omar Khalid Khorasani
Units1: North–Western Forces Contingent
Northern Light Infantry Regiment[2]
Units2:Unknown
Strength1:5,000
Strength2:Unknown
Casualties1:Unknown
Casualties2:Hundreds

Operation Rah-e-Shahadat (English: Path of Martyrdom; Urdu:راه شهادث), was a codename of a joint military operation that was commenced on 5 April 2013 by the Pakistan Army, with assistance provided by the PAF and Navy for air support. In close coordination with Local Peace Committee (Aman Lashkar), the army troops and special operations forces, aided by Frontier Corps, to flush out TTP and LeI militants from the Tirah Valley of the Khyber Agency. At least four Pakistani soldiers and 14 insurgents were killed while 5 soldiers were also wounded.[3] [4] In a major aerial operation, the Pakistan Air Force and navy fighter jets pounded hideouts of banned group LeI in and according to military intelligence reports, many militants escaped from the areas taking with them their injured fighters.[5]

On 12 April 2013, nine Pakistani soldiers and seven insurgents were killed during clashes in Sipah area of Tirah Valley. The security forces took control of the areas of Sandana and Sheikhmal Khel in Sipah area. Three Lashkar-e-Islam militants were also arrested while a dozen others were injured.[6] Two peace committee members were killed and 22 others were injured in a bomb blast in the same area.[7]

On 13 April 2013, Pakistan Army's ISPR said that seven militants were killed in the Tirah Valley on 12 April. It did not confirm the casualties suffered by the security forces.[8]

On 16 April 2013, a member of Zakhakhel peace committee (Tawheedul-ul-Islam) was killed in a bomb blast in Dari area of Tirah Valley.[9]

On 2 May 2013, four Taliban-linked insurgents were killed and five others wounded after Pakistani fighter jets targeted TTP hideouts in the Tirah Valley.[10]

On 5 May 2013, Pakistan Army's ISPR said that 16 insurgents and two soldiers were killed during heavy clashes in the Tirah Valley. Three soldiers were reported to be wounded. The military also claimed to have captured militant strongholds Kismat Sur and Sanghar and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition from the militants fleeing the area.[11]

Notes and References

  1. News: APP. Tirah Valley: Security forces clear out militants from Maidan. 2 July 2013. Express Tribune, War Correspondents. 21 June 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130627060947/http://tribune.com.pk/story/566245/tirah-valley-security-forces-clear-out-militants-from-maidan/. 27 June 2013. live.
  2. News: Shinwari. Ibrahim. 13 June 2013. Army officer killed in Tirah valley blast. live. Dawn. https://web.archive.org/web/20130710155017/https://www.dawn.com/news/1017883/army-officer-killed-in-tirah-valley-blast. 10 July 2013. 16 June 2013.
  3. News: Pakistan army starts offensive in NW; 4 troops die. 8 April 2013. 5 April 2013. U.S. News & World Report. https://web.archive.org/web/20130408024641/http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2013/04/05/pakistan-army-starts-offensive-in-nw-4-troops-die. 8 April 2013. live.
  4. News: Tirah Valley clash leaves 14 militants, 4 security officials dead. 8 April 2013. 5 April 2013. The Express Tribune. https://web.archive.org/web/20130408081921/http://tribune.com.pk/story/531500/tirah-valley-clash-leaves-14-militants-4-security-officials-dead/. 8 April 2013. live.
  5. News: Warplanes pound militant hideouts in FATA, 8 killed. 16 July 2013. GEO News, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20140514001811/http://www.geo.tv/article-87422-Warplanes-pound-militant-hideouts-in-FATA-8-killed. 14 May 2014. live.
  6. News: Nine soldiers, 7 militants killed in Tirah . 19 April 2013 . Dawn . 12 April 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130413162123/http://dawn.com/2013/04/12/nine-soldiers-7-militants-killed-in-tirah/ . 13 April 2013 .
  7. News: TTP denies Mangal Bagh appointed Khyber militant chief . 19 April 2013 . Dawn . 11 April 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130413211821/http://dawn.com/2013/04/11/ttp-denies-mangal-bagh-appointed-khyber-militant-chief/ . 13 April 2013 .
  8. News: Seven militants killed in Tirah, Khyber Agency during last 24 hours . 19 April 2013 . 14 April 2013 . Daily Times (Pakistan) . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130418235247/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013%5C04%5C14%5Cstory_14-4-2013_pg7_4 . 18 April 2013 .
  9. News: Member of lashkar killed in Tirah blast. 19 April 2013. 16 April 2013. The News International. https://web.archive.org/web/20130616210939/http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-7-171746-Member-of-lashkar-killed-in-Tirah-blast. 16 June 2013. live.
  10. News: Four militants killed, five injured in Tirah strikes . 2 May 2013 . Dawn . 1 May 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130502024332/http://dawn.com/2013/05/01/four-militants-killed-five-injured-in-tirah-strikes/ . 2 May 2013 .
  11. News: Troops kill 16 militants in Tirah valley: Military. 5 May 2013. Express Tribune. 5 May 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130508233153/http://tribune.com.pk/story/544744/troops-kill-16-militants-in-tirah-valley-military/. 8 May 2013. live.