BARA: Seven soldiers and four militants were killed in fighting between banned Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) and security forces while 13 bodies were found in different areas of Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency, official and tribal sources said on Tuesday. The sources said that dozens of militants of LI attacked the newly-established three security posts manned by personnel of Frontier Corps (FC), Pakistan Army and Khassadar Force in Arjaleen Adey, Machine Dhand and Mashomanu Adeera in Shalobar area of Bara late Monday night. The fight between the two sides lasted for four hours that resulted in the killing of five personnel of FC and Pakistan Army, the sources said, adding, 28 security forces personnel sustained injuries. Two injured members of Khassadar Force named Munawar and Rahim succumbed to injuries on way to hospital. They said the injured cops included 15 members of Khassadar Force while 11 belonged to military and para-military forces, who were admitted to Combined Military Hospital and Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar. A senior security official said that four security forces personnel and four militants were killed in the clash. He said five militants were critically injured in the fighting.A militant commander, who wished not be named, claimed that they had attacked a check post built in empty house in Machine Dhand area where they beheaded three security forces personnel. Dawn, The News, The Nation.
MINGORA: Militants are trying to regroup in the Swat Valley and could carry out attacks, said Swat General Officer Commanding (GOC) Major General Ghulam Qamar. He was addressing the Malakand advisory council in Khwaza Khela headquarters of the security forces on Tuesday. The participants included Commissioner of Malakand Division Dr Fakhr-e-Alam, DCOs, DPOs, political leaders and elders. Qamar said that 260 militants have been killed in cross border attacks from Afghanistan and 123 attacks have been carried out in Dir after militants crossed into Pakistani territory from Afghanistan. All attacks were repulsed and they can no longer cross the border in Dir and Swat areas, he said. Qamar cautioned that militants will try to carry out their activities through Khyber Agency and Buner, for which they must prepare. The Express Tribune.
NOWSHERA: The security forces arrested a foreign militant during a search operation here on Tuesday, official sources said. The sources said the officials raided the residence of Qari Rahman alias Ali Zaman near the Rashakai interchange and arrested him along with an Uzbek militant commander Gul Agha alias commander Gul. Two satellite phones, two laptop and suicide jacket and important documents were seized. The sources said the militants were about to leave the area in a car when the security forces conducted the raid. The sources said the search operation was launched after information gathered from a militant arrested earlier. The sources claimed that the two militants were planning to target security forces and sensitive installations on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. Both the militants were shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation, sources added. The News.
MIRANSHAH: The government and Utmanzai tribal elders Tuesday agreed to work for maintaining peace in North Waziristan region and hunt down those involved in attacking the security forces and government installations. The pledge was made at a meeting held between the elders of the Utmanzai tribe and government and security officials about the role of local tribesmen in maintaining order in their respective villages and towns. The government has taken exception to the attack on the security forces in North Waziristan and given one day deadline to the tribal jirga and local Taliban led by militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur to help stop attacks on armed forces and government installations or else the military would use force to prevent such attacks. The News.
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Masood Kausar Tuesday gave a go ahead to execute the Rs.59 billion Kurram-Tangi Dam Project.A handout said the long-awaited multi-purpose project, situated in North Waziristan Agency, will bring 0.35 million acres of land of Bannu and Lakki districts under cultivation on completion besides generating 83 MW electricity. The News, The Nation.
KHYBER AGENCY – Militants late on Monday night attacked a security forces checkpost in Shalober area of tehsil Bara in Khyber Agency, sparking clashes that killed six security personnel and four terrorists overnight, sources said Tuesday.The sources said militants weapons attacked on the forces post located in Shalober area. Four on duty troops received fatal bullets wounds in attack and killed on the spot. However, the force retaliated and shot dead four militants, sources added.The central spokesman of Lashkar-e-Islam, the defunct militant organization of Managl Bagh, claimed in a telephone call from an undisclosed location that the men of banned out had killed six security personnel and two Khasadars, besides kidnapping scores of them. The Nation, The Express Tribune.
PESHAWAR: Security forces on Tuesday launched a search operation in two villages of Frontier Region (FR) Peshawar and arrested dozens of people during a door-to-door raid. Contingents of Pakistan Army entered the Kandhao Asho Khel area of FR Peshawar early morning and surrounded the Bashi Khel and Sambi Khel villages. During the operation, a large cache of weapons was seized and dozens of suspects arrested. Assistant Political Agent (APA) of FR Peshawar, Naveed Akbar confirmed the operation in Kandao Asho Khel. He, however, said security forces have not shared any information with them so far. In response to a question, APA Akbar said a full-fledged operation is not being considered at this time. Any such decision will be taken by the Fata Secretariat, he added. Locals said residents of both villages had a feud with each other and skirmishes were a routine. Both sides procure heavy arms and use them against each other, they added. The Express Tribune.
PESHAWAR – Students of seven tribal agencies on Tuesday demanded of the government to restore educational activities in Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata) and rebuild the damaged schools and colleges in the areas. The demands were made during a protest demonstration held at Sher Shah Suri road opposite Cantonment Railway Station. The students were carrying a banner inscribed with different slogans regarding restoration of peace and education in tribal belt. Haroon Luqman Afridi, central president of Fata Students Federation (FSF), Shukat Aziz, Ijaz and Ismail were leading the demonstrators. On the occasion they presented a list of various demands including reopening of all the closed educational institutions in tribal areas and assurance of its protection. The Nation.
NEW YORK: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has called for defeating the scourge of terrorism through a comprehensive approach that gives a push to efforts aimed at resolving long-festering conflicts and crisis spawning extremism. Addressing UN Security Council as Pakistan’s top diplomat on Tuesday, she said: “We should address the root causes of terrorism”. She said at the beginning of a debate on the menace of terrorism that Pakistan had taken the initiative to select this ‘difficult’ subject because the threat was evolving and needed corresponding steps to deal with it. “Pakistan’s initiative for this debate is rooted in our shared objective of global peace, security, stability and development,” the foreign minister told high-level delegates sitting around the council’s horse-shoe table. “As a threat to international peace and security, terrorism has a direct bearing on all of our countries and regions; as well as on individuals and societies. The last decade has shown that terrorism knows no geographical boundaries.” Dawn.
NAWAF KHAN, SHARAFAT ALI CHAUDHARY
