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| India-Pakistan |
| TTP stopping men to form human shield |
| 2008-08-18 |
| Militants in Maoond tehsil of Bajaur are forcefully stopping men from leaving the area, people arriving here told Daily Times. Taliban had warned people of Mamoond tehsil not to leave the area. "May be Taliban intend to use the civilians as human shield," several displaced people said. Talking to Daily Times at the Charsadda Suzuki Stand, an elderly man said armed militants in Anayat Kalay area disembarked his three sons from a vehicle. "I and my three sons were on the way to Peshawar along with their wives and 13 children when armed Taliban stopped us in Mamoond and asked my sons to step down," said the man. Post: According to sources in security forces, "Taliban tried to persuade civilians not to migrate. Failing on that count, Taliban set up a checkpost near Inyat Kalay to stop people from fleeing." Meanwhile, Mohammad Sajjad, a resident of Bajaur, told Daily Times over the telephone that such cases were occurring only in Mamoond tehsil. He said jet fighters had stopped targeting the areas, while helicopter gunships could still be heard. "Residents raise their hands at the sight of a chopper," he said, adding: "We've been told to do so to avoid falling prey to shelling by gunships." The security forces dropped these instruction leaflets from planes in an effort to control collateral damage, he said. Army: Sajjad said ground troops [army] had started movement in the Tor Ghundai area of Munda tehsil. The area is located some 20 kilometres from Khar, headquarters of Bajaur, on Timargara side. Ajmal Khan, a student and resident of Shago Kalay, said helicopters had sprayed chemicals on the maze crop, which Taliban were hiding in to avoid shelling. The military operation in Bajaur has displaced around 250,000 people. Independent sources said the Bajaur operation had badly hit the capability of local militants to target the security forces. The sources also said that the Taliban were pressuring local elected representatives to force government to halt the Operation and desist from carrying out similar operation in Mohmand. |
| Posted by:Fred |