"The security forces have done their job and the area has been cleared off the Islamic fascisti except few small pockets," Operation Commander Brigadier Tariq Aman told a group of journalists at a makeshift Brigade Headquarters in Sadda town, lower
Kurram Agency...home of an intricately interconnected web of poverty, ignorance, and religious fanaticism, where the laws of cause and effect are assumed to be suspended, conveniently located adjacent to Tora Bora...
He said that objectives of the operation "Mamozai" had been achieved to secure the entire areas in central Kurram adjacent to the troubled Orakzai and Khyber agencies. He said that troops had reached Saama Bazaar and Joggi areas, demarcation points separating Kurram and Orakzai.
A substantial number of troops are still in the area to assist the Frontier Corps and Levies Force, and displaced families have been sent back to their homes. "It was a coordinated operation conducted by the army, Frontier Corps and Pakistain Air Force," said Brig Aman. Political agent Yousaf Rahim and Commandant Kurram Militia Col Sher Jeel also briefed media about return process of internally displaced persons and rehabilitation activities in the conflict-stricken valley.
The first phase of operation was launched in July 2011 and second in October 2011 that lasted till May 2012. The officials said that forces had suffered 75 casualties, while 220 soldiers were maimed and 90 personnel suffered because of frostbite.
They said that about 500 turbans, including foreigners, had been killed in the operation.
But like Mullah Fazlullah
...son-in-law of holy man Sufi Mohammad. Known as Mullah FM, Fazlullah had the habit of grabbing his FM mike when the mood struck him and bellowing forth sermons. Sufi suckered the Pak govt into imposing Shariah on the Swat Valley and then stepped aside whilst Fazlullah and his Talibs imposed a reign of terror on the populace like they hadn't seen before, at least not for a thousand years or so. For some reason the Pak intel services were never able to locate his transmitter, much bomb it. After ruling the place like a conquered province for a year or so, Fazlullahs Talibs began gobbling up more territory as they pushed toward Islamabad, at which point as a matter of self-preservation the Mighty Pak Army threw them out and chased them into Afghanistan...
of Swat
...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat...
the most wanted man in the area, Mullah Toofan, who was leading local and foreign turbans, has escaped. A security official said that a hardened turban from Azerbaijan named Zahoor Aslanov had been killed in action.
"Mullah Toofan might be in Orakzai or Khyber, but he has been routed from central Kurram," said Brig Aman. He said that one of the objectives of the operation to put brakes on frequent movement of Islamic fascisti from one tribal area to another had been materialised.
"Central Kurram was described as 'don't go area' because of its tough terrain and militancy. Now people can move freely because state's writ has been restored," he maintained.
He said that security forces had now been deployed almost at all unfrequented routes to block such movements. He said that Thall-Parachinar Road which remained closed for four years had been reopened after the turbans' defeat.
MAIN CHALLENGES: Though the military authorities claimed victory over Taliban in central Kurram, revival of the tribal system, rehabilitation of displaced families and reconstruction of infrastructure are main challenges faced by the government.
Conflict in this mountainous part of Kurram Valley has left trail of destruction, and according to officials and rustics, Islamic fascisti had set on fire hamlet of houses in Masozai, Alisherzai and other areas. Over 30,000 families were displaced when troops launched campaign and many of them sought shelter in New Durrani Camp in lower Kurram.
Political agent Yousaf Rahim told media that according to preliminary survey around 2,400 houses had been destroyed in the area.
The administration and Fata Disaster Management Authority had started return process of the IDPs and 1,200 families had been rehabilitated in Mosazai, he said and added that relief agencies had provided temporary shelter, food and non-food items to returnees.
He said reconstruction of government infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, required about Rs717 million.
Mr Rahim said that with the assistance of donor agencies the FDMA and local administration would carry out damage need assessment survey of the area and the federal government would be asked to compensate affected people.