Militancy in Bajaur: On fifth day of clashes, three soldiers killed

Other armed forces members have gone missing; 11 militants killed; eight arrested.

KHAR:

Three security personnel were killed while others went missing during the fifth day of clashes between militants and security forces in the Pak-Afghan border area of Batwar in Bajaur agency, military sources said.

Security forces claimed that they killed 11 militants and arrested eight during the clashes, adding that artillery shells and gunships pounded militants’ hideouts in the area. They added that they have some of the militants’ bodies in their custody.

A security official said that five officials along with four volunteers of the Salarzai peace militia were injured. Independent sources there said that a woman was also injured.

Meanwhile, the tribesmen of Batwar have blamed the Afghan National Army for assisting the militants who had crossed the border.

Talking to journalists from an undisclosed location, Malakand chapter Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Spokesperson Sirajuddin cited a much high number of casualties among the security forces.

Verifying casualty figures independently, meanwhile, remains difficult. Entering and leaving the area remains impossible while the heavy fighting continues and means of communication remain extremely limited.  Those families who left the area on Friday fear that fatalities may have been higher, considering the heavy weaponry being used in the clashes.

Akhunzada Chattan, MNA from the area, told The Express Tribune that the Bar Madak area, already heavily populated, has been burdened with an influx of internally displaced persons fleeing the area. When asked if agencies like the Fata Disaster Management Authority or the UNHCR had been informed, Chattan said they had been contacted but were waiting to see how the situation developed.

Chattan said the number of IDPs stood at 7,000 on Monday but it could rise if the fighting continued.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2012.