K & P

Shops razed after military convoy bombed in Wana

Earlier five soldiers were injured in a bomb attack on a military convoy in the area

Afp September 15, 2015

A soldier stands in an armoured vehicle during a military operation against Taliban militants in the town of Miranshah in North Waziristan July 9, 2014. PHOTO: REUTERS

PESHAWAR: Helicopter gunships and bulldozers destroyed dozens of shops in a restive tribal area on Tuesday after a bomb attack on a military convoy wounded five soldiers, officials said.

The incident took place in Wana, the main town of troubled South Waziristan district, where the military is battling Taliban militants.

Read: Pakistan Army major killed in North Waziristan checkpost attack

"At least five soldiers were wounded when a bomb planted on a roadside exploded as a military convoy passed," a local security official told AFP.

Security forces immediately launched a search operation and called in air support, he added.

Read: Time to bring FATA home

Local administration and intelligence officials and residents said helicopters bombed the market at Wana by-pass road and later bulldozers razed dozens of shops belonging to suspected militants.

A curfew has been imposed in Wana and military helicopters were hovering above, they said.

Officials say more than 3,500 militants have been killed since the launch of the latest offensive in neighbouring North Waziristan last year.

COMMENTS (16)

Pacifica | 9 years ago | Reply This is exactly the same sort of collective punishment that Israeal hands out to the Palestinians - destroying their shops, orchards, homes, etc. When an army starts destroying the livelihood of its own countrymen then it means it's time for a political settlement and an end to gratuitous violence.

Dilip | 9 years ago | Reply By destroying the livelihood of the shopkeepers, the people will be more sympathetic to the taliban than the army. If you have proof that they are supporters of extreme organisations then jail them.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Dr M M. Khan | 9 years ago | Reply @Hari Om: Dear hari, I respect your opinion but i am afraid you are mixing oranges and apples. If you read my comments i have allready voiced my concern about the action.Let me point out the Punjabis are the dominanat population in Pakistan and as such they have a dominant representaion but the army recuitment is open to all. Let me remind you quite a number of COAS have been non punjabis. As regards your comparision with israeli army it is irrelevent. Israel is a usurper state and acts as such and draws international condemnation . Pakistani army is fighting an insurgency by counter terrorisim. You allude to indian kashmir which like isreal i have visited quite often. Kashmir enjoys a most favoured status in india which is usually is given to prisoners who co operate and thus avoid collective punishment which is quickly metted out when they protest either in groups or as individuals. Your comments are divisive in nature with the aim of formenting hate. Sure enough pakistan is facing problems but fishing in troubled waters does not help. Keep a look at your backyard.

Awais Khan | 9 years ago | Reply It seems like the miscreants from NWA have shifted to SWA due to the ongoing operation in the tribal region.

Hari Om | 9 years ago | Reply Why Punjabi dominated Military of Pakistan following Israeli policy of demolition which has been subject of much hypocritical whining by Pakistan? Why Punjabi dominated Military of Pakistan does not follow policy of India in dealing with Islamic Terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir by targeting via proportionate and discriminate use of force? Why Punjabi dominated Military of Pakistan does not follow policy of India in dealing with Islamic Terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir by not using collective punishment?

IBN E ASHFAQUE | 9 years ago | Reply @Assad: How long can the army sustain this madness? of destroying hearth and homes. It needs to use other options.......

IBN E ASHFAQUE | 9 years ago | Reply @Usman: Try to understand that most of these shop owners are poor people and they are not involved in terrorism. They have put their life savings into this concern thereby earning bread for their families. Where will they go now? Who will take care of their families? This will create dislike for the army among the locals and army will need to one operation after another till it tires out or exhausts the contry's resources. This is not sustainable.

TooTrue | 9 years ago | Reply How about a similar response to the Indians for killing a Pakistani soldier on the LOC today?

Vivek | 9 years ago | Reply This problem is never going to be solved as same as Kashmir,when the army withdraws the militants will take over,so what you gave to Kashmir is what you are getting back.In entire waziristan the army must stay permanently to run their writ or RAW will take over with the help of TTP

Assad | 9 years ago | Reply @Dr M M. Khan: This is not exactly correct. The Army, through its intelligence on the ground knows that many people in these areas are shopkeepers by day and militants by night. The IEDs are planted on the roads by these elements and they sit and watch the military convoys move, then the IEDs are blown through remote controllers which have a limited range, meaning the ones pulling the trigger are among the local populace and sitting and watching from the bazars as the military moves. After the attacks, these people are allowed to blend into the same bazars and shops. The military, when it sees that due to proximity of such shops along a commonly traversed route being exposed to IEDs, it tends to dismantle the shops and other built up areas. The militants cannot operate if the local support on the ground is eliminated. No amount of goodwill can change that because the locals support the militants on the basis of tribal affiliation even though they know that the military brings with it development to the area. In such cases, a strong response against the support base of the militants is needed.

Dr M M. Khan | 9 years ago | Reply This is no way for a professional army to behave. They appear to playing a number game like in vietnam and not the gain game! Every time you destroy the livlihood of innocent people you give rise to the birth of "accidental guerillas". It is the classical way of losing the battle of hearts and minds.

Punjabi | 9 years ago | Reply Why destroy poor people's shops. Can't find the enemies to kill so use thousands of dollars worth of munitions to destroy the shops of IDPs? The only people who own shops are the common folk have a heart people.

Usman | 9 years ago | Reply @IBN E ASHFAQUE: A psychological war needs a psychological response, razing of shops means terrorists sympathizers and their abettors are not safe. The Army doesn't spend millions on precision strikes just to go and raze a few shop later. Every move is calculated, unlike in the past.

Iron hand | 9 years ago | Reply Well done Pakistan army - the war against these terrorists must be total war and must include their sympathizers. Only then will the cancer of religious extremism, previously nurtured by the State, be eradicated by the State.

IBN E ASHFAQUE | 9 years ago | Reply Why destroying the shops of the poor? Lunacy at its height.

ishrat salim | 9 years ago | Reply The main reason being lack of development work in order to make the place ( Wana etc; ) economically viable for the inhabitants to return. This is the work of the civilian govt, so unless massive development work is not taken up, the vacuum is filled by the criminal / terrorists again. It is high time the civilian govt take responsibility for economic development of the cleared area so that people of the area return & resume their activity with hope of employment for the youth of the area as well. De-radicalization is must, how long the military is going to keep the area secured militarily.

Replying to X