Warplanes, gunships blast Taliban positions

PESHAWAR - Maulana Kifayatullah, elder son of Maulana Sufi Mohammad, chief of Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) was killed on Thursday when an artillery shell hit his house in Lower Dir.
Meanwhile, 25 militants including an important Taliban commander, and nine soldiers were killed in fresh clashes with security forces in different areas of Swat, Buner and Dir districts. The security forces used warplanes and gunship helicopters as they intensified action against the militants, officials disclosed.
According to details, Maulana Kifayatullah, elder son of TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad is top amongst the killed persons in the ongoing military action against militants in scattered areas of Malakand region.
Maulana Kifayatullah was killed when the security forces shelled the suspected hideouts of the alleged Taliban militants in village Daro of Maidan region in Lower Dir District. His brother-in-law Maulana Safi Ullah was injured seriously. Safi Ullah is son-in-law of Maulana Sufi Mohammad. Kifayatullah, 50, had been living in the house of his brother-in-law. However,
Izzat Khan, the spokesman of TNSM, said that he was wounded in the legs and was not in a critical condition.
A military official in the northwest said he had no information about Kifayatullah’s death but confirmed fighter jets ‘conducted raids on suspected hideouts in Lower Dir’ Thursday.
Maulana Kifayatullah had accompanied his father in his “historical journey” to Afghanistan soon after 9/11 for shouldering Taliban in their attempt against the United States-led allies. However, later reportedly he developed links with Taliban militants, particularly his brother-in-law Maulana Fazalullah who was leading Tehrik-e-Taliban Swat Chapter and engaged in fighting against the government, security forces and civilians for the last four years.
So far neither TNSM nor its chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad has shown any reaction to the death of Kifayatullah.
Meanwhile, militants suffered huge losses in other areas also. Ibne Aqeel, an important Taliban commander and brother of Ibne Ameen, was killed along with three others when the security forces hit them back to repulse their attack on Matta Police Station.
He belonged to Namal village and was previously affiliated with Jesh-e-Mohammad. Namal has been a stronghold of Taliban since 2007.
Moreover, the officials said that the security forces had intensified operation in Swat and Buner districts and killed several militants while targeting their suspected hideouts in Malam Jabba, Chamtalai, Pewchar and Shagai areas. They further said the militants had been driven out of their various strongholds. However, the local people have doubted the officials’ claim alleging that a large number of civilians had also been killed in the security forces shelling.
The also said that five members of a family had been killed when mortar shells hit a house in Matta town.