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Cross-border incursions: Tribesmen to raise lashkar against militants
By Our Correspondent
Published: July 17, 2014
KHAR:
A grand jirga of the Mamond tribe has decided to raise a tribal lashkar (militia) to aid security forces in the fight against marauding Taliban militants in the Bajaur tribal agency.
The jirga, or tribal assembly, was convened in the Bar Khalozo area of Mamond tehsil of Bajaur which was attended by leaders of all peace committees of the troubled region. Local tribal elders – including Malik Daftar Khan and Malik Khanzeb – said that they have decided to raise the lashkar in order to ensure durable peace in Bajaur Agency where Afghanistan-based militants routinely carry out cross-border attacks on Pakistan border posts.
The lashkar will assist the security forces in eliminating the militants and their sympathisers. Volunteers of the lashkar will patrol the area from Wednesday. They will fight militants, identify their harbourers and act against them according to the local tribal customs.
The lashkar will set up checkpoints along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to ensure that the militants do not sneak in from the northeastern Afghan provinces of Kunar and Nuristan where Pakistani Taliban have carved out sanctuaries.
The jirga decided that the lashkar will burn down the houses of those found to be harbouring militants and expel them from the region. The jirga also demanded the Afghan government hand over to the lashkar all those involved in militancy in Bajaur.
On the other hand, the security forces, aided by the local peace committee, launched a targeted search operation in the villages of Kitkot, Ghakhi Pass and adjoining areas along the Pak-Afghan border. The operation will continue in the areas where militants are believed to be hiding, Sector Commander North Ghulam Haider told the media. He added that the operation was jointly conducted by the security forces and the peace committee. He said that as long as the peace committee and local tribesmen were cooperating with the security forces, there was no need for the local population to evacuate their homes.
There were also unconfirmed reports of fire exchange between the security forces and militants in Kitkot – but both military and administration officials denied the reports.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2014.
By Our Correspondent
Published: July 17, 2014
KHAR:
A grand jirga of the Mamond tribe has decided to raise a tribal lashkar (militia) to aid security forces in the fight against marauding Taliban militants in the Bajaur tribal agency.
The jirga, or tribal assembly, was convened in the Bar Khalozo area of Mamond tehsil of Bajaur which was attended by leaders of all peace committees of the troubled region. Local tribal elders – including Malik Daftar Khan and Malik Khanzeb – said that they have decided to raise the lashkar in order to ensure durable peace in Bajaur Agency where Afghanistan-based militants routinely carry out cross-border attacks on Pakistan border posts.
The lashkar will assist the security forces in eliminating the militants and their sympathisers. Volunteers of the lashkar will patrol the area from Wednesday. They will fight militants, identify their harbourers and act against them according to the local tribal customs.
The lashkar will set up checkpoints along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to ensure that the militants do not sneak in from the northeastern Afghan provinces of Kunar and Nuristan where Pakistani Taliban have carved out sanctuaries.
The jirga decided that the lashkar will burn down the houses of those found to be harbouring militants and expel them from the region. The jirga also demanded the Afghan government hand over to the lashkar all those involved in militancy in Bajaur.
On the other hand, the security forces, aided by the local peace committee, launched a targeted search operation in the villages of Kitkot, Ghakhi Pass and adjoining areas along the Pak-Afghan border. The operation will continue in the areas where militants are believed to be hiding, Sector Commander North Ghulam Haider told the media. He added that the operation was jointly conducted by the security forces and the peace committee. He said that as long as the peace committee and local tribesmen were cooperating with the security forces, there was no need for the local population to evacuate their homes.
There were also unconfirmed reports of fire exchange between the security forces and militants in Kitkot – but both military and administration officials denied the reports.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2014.
