15 die as people clash with militants in Swat
Monday, October 27, 2008
By our correspondent
MINGORA: Fifteen people were killed and 12 others injured in a fierce clash between local militants and members of a local Jirga in Matta Tehsil of restive Swat Valley on Sunday. The militants also captured 70 Lashkaris, led by Pir Samiullah, in Aghal area when they were returning after attending a Jirga.
The Lashkaris were returning after attending a Jirga in Wenai area. The incident sparked a fierce clash between the militants and the armed Lashkar. Reports pouring in from the area said three militants, including a commander of Peuchar area, Shamsher alias Muhabat, and 12 members of the local Lashkar lost their lives in the clash. The other two militants shot dead were identified as Barkat and Amjad.
The slain elders of the Jirga include Afareen, Bahramand, Aziz, Mumtaz, Akbar Khan, Ayub, Bar Kamal, Afzal, Ajmal, Sheena, Yar Zameen and Hayatullah. Over a dozen other people, who were injured in the clash, were shifted to various hospitals.
It may be added here that the slain persons of the Jirga included elders and notables of the area. An armed Lashkar was raised after a failed attempt by the Taliban to kidnap Pir Samiullah a couple of months ago.
Spokesman for the Swat chapter of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Muslim Khan confirmed the kidnapping of 70 people of the Jirga, who were locked in a school in Chinglai area. He claimed that the Lashkaris attempted to fire at Taliban and 12 of them were killed when the Taliban returned the fire. He said earlier the Jirga had promised that Pir Samiullah would not return to the area and the Taliban, therefore, spared him.
In Sambat village close to Matta town, unknown armed men shot dead five persons, including two militants, who were standing outside a barber shop and injured two others. The assailants who came in a car sprayed the militants with bullets. This also led to the death of three civilians identified as Aslam, Namdar and Saeedullah, who were present in the shop. The slain Taliban were identified as Waheedullah and Janan. The injured civilians were shifted to a Matta hospital.
In Totano Bandai area, militants injured a soldier in an attack on a checkpoint. The attackers fled after retaliatory fire of the forces. In another incident, a man identified as Shah Hussain, sustained injuries when he came under fire from the security forces in Dewlai area.
Meanwhile, the security forces arrested 50 people during a search operation in Koza Bandai area. On the other hand, gunship helicopters also targeted militants positions in the Gwalerai area but no causality was reported in the operation.
15 die as people clash with militants in Swat