Villagers let loose fury on Taliban

PESHAWAR (AFP/Reuters) - A mob of hundreds of villagers seeking revenge for a deadly mosque bombing
killed 14 suspected Taliban on Monday in a third day of vigilante violence, the army said.
A spontaneous militia took up arms on Saturday and besieged militant strongholds in Upper Dir district, a day
after 40 people were killed in a suicide blast at a mosque in the same area of the northwest.
One local security official said the Taliban, the focus of an intense six-week government operation in nearby
Swat valley, were on the run and public sentiment in Upper Dir had turned against them. Taliban have lost the
local support in the area and are now only firing back to move away, the security official told AFP.
Taliban are surrounded from both eastern and western sides and are now fleeing the area after leaving their
weapons and disguising themselves.
Police officials have said that the weekend clashes left six suspected militants dead, and fighting continued on
Monday with 14 more killed.
Local lashkar set ablaze 13 houses of terrorists and killed three terrorists at Dhok Darra (village) in retaliation to
a suicide attack in a mosque, the army said in a statement Monday, referring to the tribal militia. The vigilantes
also surrounded Shatkas and Mena villages and killed 11 insurgents including a Taliban commander, the
statement said, taking the total rebel death toll to 14.
Government has in the past encouraged the formation of lashkar militias to boost the official armed forces in
their fight against militants.
District police chief Mohammad Ejaz Khan earlier told AFP that more than 200 Taliban were involved in the
clashes, while local officials said up to 1,200 villagers carrying small arms and kalashnikovs joined the militia.
A top government official in Upper Dir, Atif-ur-Rehman, said the militia fighters had pushed the Taliban out of
three villages and surrounded them in another two.
About 150 militants are believed to be there putting up resistance. But the villagers are doing well, theyre
squeezing the militants, Rehman told Reuters by telephone.
Rehman said security forces could help the militia if necessary.
We dont want to step in right now as theyre fighting at close quarters and there is a chance of losses on the
villagers side if we use artillery, he said.
Fridays mosque bombing was the latest in a series of attacks on civilian and security targets - attacks widely
seen as retribution by extremists for militarys blistering offensive in three northwest districts.
Military launched its northwest push after the Taliban advanced to within 100 kilometres of Islamabad in early
April, violating a peace deal.
The army said Monday 21 terrorists including the 14 killed by the lashkar had died in the last 24 hours in the
northwest.
Agencies adds: According to an ISPR up date regarding the military action, during the cordon and search
operation, three terrorists were killed in Charbagh by the security forces on a tip off from local civilian residents.
Security forces carried out search operation in Bara Banda, Shahdhand Banda and successfully established link
up at Damber Sar and Shakardara.
During exchange of fire, one terrorist was also killed.
And in Lower Dir, militants have blown up 5 more schools to show their hatred to modern education.
Clashes between the security forces and terrorists also occurred at Ambela, District Buner, in which 3 terrorists
including commander Ghulam Khaliq, an IED expert Salim and Sherzada were killed.
Meanwhile, as curfew was relaxed for few hours, population from different localities continued to stream out to
safer places. On the other hand, the people who are still trapped because of the operation are desperate to
leave the battle zone.
Sources say the areas, which have been cleared search operation is underway while suspension of power
supply is still continuing.
At last one of the good news for people is that Chakdara Bazaar has been opened after one month providing a
sigh a relief for the local residents after the security forces cleared the area from Chakdara to Ghoraghat in
Lower Dir. A hustle and bustle is witnessed in the market as people are buying goods and daily commodities.
Our Monitoring Desk adds:The security forces have killed at least two militants in Tehsil Maidan of District Lower
Dir.
The in-charge of Chakdara operation told a private TV channel Monday that they had cleared area lying between
Chakdara to Ghoraghat and the residents could return to their homes. The supply lines of militants from Swat to
Lower Dir had also been cut down, he said, adding that two militants had been killed and five arrested during the
operation.
According to sources, the military action against the militants continued in different areas of tehsil Kabal and
their hideouts were shelled in Zora, Akhund Kalay and Dadahar. The homes of three militant commanders had
also been blown up with explosives in Aligrama area of Tehsil Kabal.
Indefinite curfew was also imposed in Tehsil Khar of Bajaur Agency.
Online adds: Differences have emerged between different factions of Taliban in South Waziristan over staging
suicide attacks in different areas of the country.
A top aide of Chief Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Baitullah Mehsud and top militant commander Qari Zainuddin has
denounced Mehsud for such strikes inside the country.
In an interview to a foreign news agency, Qari Zainuddin urged tribal leaders to resist Mehsud and said his more
than 3,000 fighters would stay neutral if the Army launches an operation in South Waziristan.
Whatever Baitullah Mehsud and his associates are doing in the name of Islam is not a jihad, and in fact it is
rioting and terrorism, Zainuddin said.
Islam stands for peace, not for terrorism, he added.
He insisted he would resist any US attempt to attack Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the security forces backed by intelligence agencies have started decisive action to capture or kill
Chief Tehrik-e-Taliban Swat Maulana Fazlullah who has been targeted five times so far and is said to be injured.
According to the sources, Maulana Fazlullah had been targeted five times after getting credible reports from
intelligence agencies and during fifth raid he might have received injuries. But before making any claim, the
security forces would present the evidences before the nation.
Sources confirmed Maulana Fazlullah received injuries during an action by the forces but he managed to
escape.