North Waziristan: Three killed as mortars hit civilian houses

Curfew leaves commuters stranded on Bannu-Miramshah Road.

MIRANSHAH: Three people were killed and as many injured when mortar shells fired from an unknown direction landed on civilian houses near Machis Camp in Miramshah, the main town of North Waziristan Agency on Wednesday.

The incident follows Tuesday’s roadside bomb blast that killed a worker of the Frontier Work Organisation (FWO) and injured three others, forcing the political administration to impose a curfew in Miramshah and its outskirts which was lifted at 7:30pm.

Soon after the mortar attack, security forces surrounded the area around Machis Camp and started a search operation backed by artillery and helicopter gunships.

The dead included a woman, a teenager and an Afghan citizen. The three injured persons were shifted to the Agency Headquarters Hospital.

Curfew leaves people stranded

Hundreds of tribesmen remained stranded on Bannu-Miramshah Road due to the curfew. Long queues of vehicles were waiting for permission to enter the agency however, due to the curfew they were not allowed to reach their destinations.

According to an official, local tribal elders tried to negotiate with the political administration but it was not willing to discuss lifting of the curfew.

Elusive peace

Despite the peace committee formed by Uthmanzai Wazir and Dawar tribesmen in November last year to quell militancy, attacks on FWO workers continue.

The committee was formed to force the militants to leave the areas and put ban on those who were involved in attacking the security forces and government officials in the agency.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2013.