Following the killing of 15 Frontier Constabulary personnel last week, Monday’s recovery was the latest flare-up in the agency.
The bodies were recovered from the Kago Qamar area where militants attacked the security personnel, a security official told The Express Tribune, requesting to remain anonymous. “It was an advancing party that came under attack,” the official said, adding that there were two officers amongst the 22 security personnel injured in the December 21 attack.
The bodies were recovered at around 10 am, the political administration confirmed. “They had been shot,” revealed witnesses.
The bodies were brought to the Kayala Headquarters from where they were flown off to Peshawar where funeral prayers were offered for the deceased, sources said.
A jirga went to negotiate with the militants the exchange of bodies of the security personnel for bodies of militants killed in last week’s attack, sources said. However, there was no official confirmation of this statement. Names of the deceased were withheld from the media as well.
A lesser-known militant group, Gulzaman group, working under the umbrella of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) previously claimed responsibility for kidnapping the 10 soldiers. According to Reuters, TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed responsibility for the killing. “We take responsibility for killing the 10 soldiers whose bodies have been recovered from Orakzai,” Ehsanullah told Reuters from an undisclosed location. “This is an exchange of bodies with them, as they killed 10 of our people and we have responded with killing 10 of their men,” Reuters quoted him as saying.
The opening of the Kurram Highway in close proximity of Orakzai means that the military operations are in fact effective, Fata former security secretary Brigadier Mehmood Shah said, adding, however, that “it’s a slow process, but the militants have been defeated to quite an extent”.
(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM REUTERS)
Published in The Express Tribune, January 10th, 2012.
COMMENTS (23)
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Drones are silent. And Strategic Assets are eloquent. Pakistan has to choose. And choose now.
Its really very sad to read news about the death of our best and bravest. Our heartfelt sympathies with their families.
who needs drones when pakistanis kill each other all by themselves..???
The killing is okey because it was done by our pak-saaf muslim brothers unlike NATO infidels who killed 24 soldiers at salala by accident. Also FC are tribals not like our poonjabi soldiers!
10 bodies found today and 15 few days ago. Lets say how much Munawer Hassan, Fazal-ul-Rahman, Aijaz Sarwat talk about this.
@US Centcom: Thanks for your condolences.
First and foremost, our deepest and most heartfelt condolences go to the families and relatives of these brave soldiers who lost their lives serving their country. The importance of both nations working side by side is regularly highlighted with these acts of violence against our forces. The US fully supports and encourages Pakistan to root out the elements that are detrimental to the safety of the nation. The US strongly condemns all acts of terrorism and understands the pain associated with losing brave soldiers in fighting insurgency. No two other nations have sacrificed as much in fighting terrorism, and no two other nations could understand each other’s sacrifices better. The need to eliminate the threat of terrorism from the region holds the utmost importance for both nations. As we have stated before, we support the Afghan-led peace negotiations with those who renounce violence, lay down their weapons, abandon their alliance with al-Qaeda, and agree to abide by the laws and constitution of Afghanistan.
NATO killed PAK soldiers in Salala . . . whole PAK nation made noise for 2 weeks, protest rallies were done by whole PAK nation
Taliban killed 15 FC soldiers today but did you hear any noise ? Will see see PAK media taking interviews of FC soldiers families now like they did with the familes of the NATO attack soldiers? Will there be cry of ‘violation of our sovereignty’ ?? Will we hear kayani pasha gillani nawaz or PAK media making any noise ? Will we see Jamatiz JUI mullahz making street protest tomorrow ? Obviously NO because these FC soldiers were killed by "GOOD Taliban" who read Allah Hu-akbar before slitting throats, bombing mosque/mazar and girl schools and therefore these GOOD talibans are Respectable are our "biradaran e islam"
@zafar shiraz: Media has been showing the sacrifices of our forces for years now. Where have you been all this time? We already at war with various TTP factions, the questions is "violation of our sovereignty" makes no sense. We are not at war with NATO, so the the question of "violation of our sovereignty" is pertinent in that case.
something tells me that the US is sponsoring these recent gruesome happenings...
@zafar shiraz: They are Shaheed. and they are families are proud that they died serving their country. May Allah give them Jannat!!
Salute !!!!!
you laid your lives to safeguard me and my family ....
Is it just who finds it hard to sympathize with Pakistani security forces now?
Were the bodies mutilated and drilled with bullets, from close range? like the ones, being found in Balochistan? I am just curious.
What about Taliban's declaration not to fight with Pak Army???
will the media now show the funerals of our martyred soldiers? will ther be interviews with the families of these soldiers like there were with the familes of the NATO attack soldiers? will there be cries of 'violation of our sovereignty' ? or do we not consider soldiers killed by the islamic militants as being 'shaheed'?
New terms of engagement to attack militants with drone is on way, whats the difference between old term and new term anyway....