By IRNA,
Islamabad : Security forces arrested 128 rebels and killed three civilians as troops backed by helicopter gunships continued a major operation against militants for a second day on Wednesday, a senior official said.
Supplies to NATO and US forces in Afghanistan via the historic Khyber Pass remained suspended because of the operation, local administration chief Tariq Hayat told a news conference.
The offensive in the lawless Khyber tribal region near the Afghan border was launched at dawn on Tuesday after a series of attacks by suspected Taliban militants on foreign military supply depots in Khyber Pass.
“The operation will continue until the militants are flushed out and the supply route is secured,” Hayat said.
A total of 128 suspected militants have been arrested and 19 houses belonging to those harbouring Taliban militants have been demolished, he said.
Three civilians were killed Wednesday when their home was hit by “mistake”, he said, adding that the government had decided to give cash compensation to their families.
Hayat said 116 Afghans living in Shakas town had been rounded up and put into Jamrud jail. He gave no details.
A curfew remained in force in Jamrud town, the gateway to the Khyber Pass, and traffic was suspended on the highway linking Peshawar to the border town of Torkham, he said.
Educational institutions in the region will remain shut “until the objective of the operation is achieved,” he said.