Militant incursions: Two check posts set up near Khyber Agency

Insurgence infiltrate settled area to target security officials and locals.

PESHAWAR:

Police have established two new security check posts to stop incursions by militants from Akkakhel in Sheikhan village bordering Khyber Agency.

The step was taken to curb the militants’ infiltrating the settled area from the adjacent tribal belt. Khyber Agency is a militants’ hub, despite operations by security forces, said a senior police official, while speaking to The Express Tribune.

The police and Frontier Constabulary (FC) already have 17 check posts jointly manned by the two forces along the border of Akkakhel in the jurisdiction of Badabher and Mattani police stations.

Militant attacks on Pishtakhara and Mattani police mobiles in the past one week, which killed two police officials, forced police officers to establish additional check posts in the border village.

Militants pose a constant threat to local people. One evening they lifted all the groceries from shops in Sheikhan and the police only fired in the air from their fortified posts. In another incident, they kidnapped 14 people repairing an electricity pylon in Masho Khel. Once, they even herded away three pick-up drivers along with their vehicles, said locals.

They have finally taken practical steps to stop these incursions which have cost our people their lives and it is a welcome development, locals said.

Police said that the check posts would be jointly manned by the army, police and FC.

Military weapons have been provided to the police detachments including heavy machineguns, night vision equipment and even anti-tank rockets to target militants’ vehicles.

A heavy contingent of police, FC and army imposed curfew in Sheikhan village from early in the morning till afternoon while the posts were being set up in Mill and Nargas Kor.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2012.