Six militants killed in Kurram Agency

Taliban kill truck driver for supplying livestock to Afghanistan.

PESHAWAR:

At least six militants were killed when gunship helicopters pounded militant hideouts in Lower Kurram Agency on Wednesday, sources said.

Sources told The Express Tribune that the shelling occurred in the Chinarag and Spairkach areas of Kurram Agency, following a rocket attack on a security check-post in the Torwari area of Hangu district. Sources said that the militants launched a rocket attack on Asif check-post at the Kurram Agency border, injuring a security man identified as Mubashir. Another rocket missed its target and hit the house of local Pir Javed, killing his 22-year-old son Murid Badshah.

Gunship helicopters pounded militant hideouts following the attack and sources said six militants were killed and two hideouts destroyed.

Separately, suspected militants blew up a market owned by Naib Subedar Mehboob, an official of Orakzai Levies, in the Ferozkhel area of Lower Orakzai Agency. At least 10 shops were destroyed.

According to sources, Mehboob had previously received threats by militants to quit his job in the security forces.

Meanwhile, militants in Mohmand Agency killed a truck driver and his helper for supplying livestock to Afghanistan, senior administration official Maqsood Hasan said.

Local militants had imposed a ban on supplies to Afghanistan, an intelligence official in Peshawar said. He said the Pakistani Taliban had previously imposed a tax on such trucks.

With additional input by AFP



Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2011.