Civilians, kids among 33 killed in Darra, Landikotal, Swat
18 cops wounded in Bannu suicide bombing
Tariq Saeed
Peshawar—
A number of districts and tribal areas of NWFP continued to be in the grip of violence and bloodshed as at least eighteen innocent people including five kids were reportedly killed by mortar shells in Darra Adam Khel, while as many as 18 cops were injured seriously when a suicide bomber struck at a check post in Bannu district.
Likewise,
as the security forces intensified their operation in volatile Swat, the planes heavily pounded militant’s hideouts in the region killing five people including a civilian.
Reports reaching here said the fighting between the security forces and the militants in Darra Adam Khel, FR Kohat, led to tragic killing of some 17 innocent tribals who were hit by a mortar shell. Sources said it all started when the militants launched an assault at a security post at Abbas Chowk killing a security personal and injuring a few others.
The security forces, as the reports say, retaliated with full might — and resorted to heavy shelling on the insurgent’s dens using artillery from the Kohat Cantt.
In the meanwhile, as the locals say, a mortar shell fired from unknown destination hit a Hujra in Qasim Khel killing a civilian and wounding a few others. As large number of people gathered on the scene, another shell landed at the site this time killing 14 more people. Five innocent children also fell prey to the mortar shells.
While the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the mortar shell was fired by the militants, the locals and the independent sources told Observer it was fired by the security forces who they said were acting against the militants in haphazard style without caring of the collateral damage which has assumed alarming proportion.
Soon after the incident thousands of infuriated inhabitants of the Qasim Khel thronged to the roads and blocked Indus Highway near Darra for all kind of traffic by placing the dead bodies in the centre of the road. They were chanting slogans asking the government to stop killing innocent people while operating against the militants.
On the other hand some 18 policemen were wounded when a suicide bomber blew up his explosives laden vehicle near a police post some three kilometer west of Bannu City.
Reports reaching here said a suicide bomber wanted to ram his explosive laden vehicle into a police check post at Baran Bridge Monday early morning. However , sensing his intentions the cops on duty fired at him in order to keep him away from the post. In the meanwhile, the suicide bomber blew up the vehicle a few yards away from the post injuring at least eighteen cops.
Police officials say the checkpost was destroyed completely. The cops were rushed to the district headquarters hospital Bannu for treatment where the reports say two cops were in critical condition. Those wounded include 16 policemen and two FC Jawaans.
Meanwhile around a dozen tribesmen were killed when a factional fighting broke out between two rival groups in remote Tirah valley of the Khyber Agency on Monday. Many more were wounded seriously, confirmed the officials.
According to political authorities one of the two rival groups occupied Hyder Kando and other key points in the region. The law enforcers rushed to the site to stop the fighting.
Sophisticated arms were being used in the fighting between two factions of religious organizations. A group has claimed to capture 12 persons of the rival faction. The situation was tense in the area till the filing of this report.
In Swat, as the officials confirmed, the security forces have intensified the ongoing operation against the militants challenging the writ of the government and the gunship helicopters, struck hard on their hide outs in the outskirts of Swat killing at least four militants while a civilian also reportedly fell victim to the strikes.
The militants also torched a boy’s school and a Basic Health Unit (BHU) in Matta Tehsil in Swat district on Monday while a bridge was blown up at Kaladand area near Mingora city. According to security officials, some unknown miscreants put on fire a boy’s school and BHU in Nazirabad area on the outskirt of Matta. Furniture and buildings of school and the BHU were fully damaged due to arson attack. The religious hardliners , according to rough estimates, have so for set ablaze around 200 girls and boys schools.
Meanwhile, a bridge (Takta Band by-pass bridge) near Mingora city was blown up on the night between Sunday and Monday. The miscreants used explosives which exploded with a big bang and razed the bridge to ground. It was the 22nd connecting bridge blown up by the militants.
In Wana, South Waziristan Agency Naib Ameer a central chief of Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Baitullah Mehsud has reportedly survived attempt on his life. One commander was killed when their vehicle was detonated with remote control bomb in Makeen area in South Waziristan Agency late last night.
Political Naib Tehsildar Tehsil Tiarza Jamshed Khan told PO that unknown people targeted the vehicle of Naib Ameer Tehreek-e-Taliban-Pakistan (TTP) Maulana Noor Sayyed with remote control device while he was on his way back home to Barond village after attending a meeting in Makeen. The vehicle smashed into pieces after the blast, he added.
The explosive device planted on a road side near Tanga Quresh in Tehsil Tiarza exploded with big bang resultantly Commander Abdul Malik Shimankhel died on the spot. Sources said adding the TTP deputy chief remained unhurt.
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