Nato missiles hit tribesmen

BARA (Khyber Agency) - Amidst operation against what the authorities call criminals and miscreants, a mysterious missile hit the base of one of the religious groups near Bara town of Khyber Agency in early hours on Monday, killing at least nine persons and injuring around 15 others including a woman.

All the killed were stated to be tribesmen from scattered areas of Khyber Agency.

So far no one has claimed the responsibility for the missile attack against the base of the religious group but its spokesman blamed the NATO forces camping across the border in Afghanistan, for the act. The base of Amar Bil Maroof Wa Nahi Anel Munkar (Voice and Virtue) headed by Haji Namdar at the fortress having many portions like the house of Hakeem Shah at Jan Khan Keley in the area, dominated by tribesmen from Bar Qambarkhel clan of Afridi tribe, was hit by a mysterious missile in early hours on Monday. At the time of missile attack, its dwellers were preparing themselves for offering prays, the spokesman remarked.

As per details, the Amar Bil Maroof, one of three religious rival groups operating in Bara region of Khyber Agency has established its centre in the house of Hakeem Shah. The spokesman of the Tanzeem Amar Bil Maroof Wa Nahi Anel Munkar informed that the base was used for sheltering of his group Mujahideen. He informed that around 3.45 a.m. first they sighted a flame in the air, which was later on followed by a huge explosion. The flame, he added, came from Afghanistan, where the NATO forces are camping. Based on these grounds, he blamed the NATO forces for such an attack.

The mysterious missile targeted the  house of Hakeem Shah destroying its  several portions. A number of rooms and portions of the house were razed to the ground whereas the remaining parts were damaged very badly. The damaged complex also included a prison or torture cell in its basement. A number of prisoners were locked in the cell when the missile attack took place and three of them were reportedly killed and several others injured.

The spokesman claimed that six persons were killed and seven others injured in the attack, whereas the local tribesmen informed that nine persons were killed and 15 others injured. The six killed persons were identified as Ibrahim and Arif from Zakhakhel tribe, Gul Wali, Mohammad Nawaz, Faulad Khan and Sagheer Khan from Bar Qambarkhel area of Bara. Five of the injured were admitted in Peshawar hospital whereas 10 of the  injured were attended in the Civil Hospital Dogra, Bara and were discharged after giving them first aid. The injured who are still under treatment included Shaukat, Sulaiman, Noor Habib, Yaqoob and a woman.

The missile attack first-ever of its kind resulted in widespread unrest amongst the tribesmen from all over the Khyber Agency, where the security forces are engaged in an operation against the alleged criminals and miscreants for the last three days. Without any resistance, the security forces succeeded in demolishing the bases of the rival religious groups particularly occupied by activists of Lashkar Islam headed by Mangal Bagh. The security forces also succeeded in taking back four check posts of the traditional Khasadar forces from the militants in the area.