Pak army retaliates, kills 57 militants

Islamabad, December 18

The Pakistan army retaliated to the deadly Taliban attack at Peshawar school by killing 57 militants in massive airstrikes in the Khyber tribal region where the suicide bombers were reportedly trained.

The army launched 20 airstrikes yesterday on several Taliban hideouts in Tirah valley area of Khyber tribal region which is adjacent to Peshawar and killed 57 militants, an army spokesman said.

The strikes were launched after reports that militants involved in the Peshawar army school attack in which 148 people, including 132 schoolchildren were killed, were trained in the Bara area of Khyber.

16 Taliban named in FIR

Peshawar: Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah, his deputy Khalid Haqqani and 14 of the top commanders of the militant group have been named in an FIR in the Peshawar school massacre, even as investigators today visited the site, collected evidence and recorded statements from the survivors. Other Tehreek-e- Taliban (TTP) top commanders named in the FIR were — Hafiz Gul Bahadur, Saifullah, Mangal Bagh, Hafiz Daulat, Sarwar Shah, Maulvi Faqir, Abdul Wali, Qari Shakeel, Aslam Farooqi Aurangzeb and Jan Wali. — PTI