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| India-Pakistan |
| Taliban resurface in parts of Buner district |
| 2009-07-18 |
| [The News (Pak) Top Stories] Taliban militants resurfaced in parts of the Buner district during the last several days, carrying out armed patrol on roads besides establishing a checkpoint in Pacha Killay, locals told The News on Friday. The reports about the reappearance of the militants emanated from the district at a time when the people, displaced by the Taliban arrival and the subsequent military operation, are returning to their homes. "My brother had gone back to his home after the start of the IDPs' return, but the situation there was still precarious and the Taliban were active, which forced him to leave Buner again," a resident of a village near Pir Baba said, requesting anonymity. Locals said the militants had infested numerous parts of the Buner district. "The Taliban arrived in great numbers to Kalpani, which is a densely populated area, and Chagharzai. They terrified the people when they brazenly carried out armed patrol on a four-kilometre strip on the Kalpani-Chagharzai Road a couple of days back," another resident of Buner, who also requested not to be identified, said. He contended that during the operation, the Taliban militants had suffered meagre casualties and their numerical strength remained intact. The displaced people coming back, he apprehended, would not be safe there and they could migrate again. "They are moving back to the district, because they could not pass time in camps. They just want to be at their homes in this scorching heat and unfavourable conditions," he argued. The locals from Pacha Killay said the militants had established a checkpoint at a stream between Pacha Killay and Balo Khan a few days back, where they checked the people to single out government officials or their opponents. "The checkpoint was set up a few days ago, but removed after shelling by security forces. However, they have set it up again and checked the people here on Friday," a resident said.People of Pacha Killay said some 250-300 Taliban militants stormed the area a couple of days ago. There were also reports that they took away Rs 25,000 cash cards from the recently-returned IDPs. The locals said the Taliban militants were still present in Pir Baba, Mula Banda, Dokada, Malikpur and Balo Khan. The militants, they added, were also present in Hisar, Gokand and other areas on this strip. Meanwhile, the Amn Tehrik on Friday raised a serious concern over the military operation and said the Taliban's top leaders were still alive. "How can we say the task has been completed when the top leadership of the Taliban is still alive? After the return of the IDPs, there is an apprehension of a wave of targeted killings," Idress Kamal and Dr Said Alam Mehsud of the Amn Tehrik told a press conference here. However, the Frontier Corps, which is leading the operation in Buner, denied setting up of a checkpoint and armed patrol by the Taliban. It also played down the concerns by some quarters about regrouping of the militants. "There are no Taliban in Pacha Killay or any other area. The action against the Taliban was effective and now, there is no organised militancy in the area like before," the FC officials said, when asked to comment on the situation in Buner. However, it was conceded that the militants had attacked security forces' position in the Bachkada area, which had been responded with full force. "Now that area has also been cleared and two local Taliban commanders arrested," the officials said. |
| Posted by:Fred |