Kurram tribes to raise lashkar against militants

PARACHINAR  - Six major tribes of Kurram Agency Sunday announced full support to the government in its efforts to flush militants out from the area and bring back peace to the troubled agency.

The tribesmen also decided to vacate trenches and hand over it to the security forces to purge the agency from militants. The decisions were taken in grand tribal jirga comprised Mastokhel, Mamzakhel, Doperzai, Ghandakhel, Alizai and Tori Bangesh tribes here at the agency headquarters Parachinar.

Large number of tribal people along with their maliks and chieftains attended the jirga. The jirga unanimously welcomed and supported the government's efforts for restoration of peace, ending conflicts between warring tribesmen and action against pro-Taliban militants that badly affected lives of tribesmen and hampered development process in the agency. The jirga decided to raise tribal 'lashkar' to fight against militants and purged the Kurram agency from the miscreants once and for all.

Meanwhile, tribal chieftains and Maliks Nawab Hussain, Malik Ali Hussain, Malik Muhammad Ali Shah, Malik Niaz Ahmed, Malik Syed Jamil Hussain Kazai, Malik Iqbal Hussain and Malik Nasrullah Khan soon after the jirga announced to support government endeavours to put the agency on road to progress and development. They said that the tribal would fully back the government and law enforcing agencies if operation was launched against miscreants.

Meanwhile, at least 47 more people including 43 militants were killed and several others injured in fresh fighting between local tribesmen and pro-Taliban militants in Kurram Agency on Sunday.

Sources in political administration said the bloody skirmishes between local Taliban and tribesmen were reported from the troubled Jhoai, Arwali, Alizai, Balashkhel, Sangeena, Borki and Teri Manga and Char Deewar despite the government's repeated appeals, asking the warring groups to remain peaceful. The tribesmen are using heavy and light weaponry against each other. During the clashes, two key militants Hazart Ali and Maulana Akbar Din were also killed.

Meanwhile, almost 200 people have died in nearly two weeks of fierce sectarian clashes between Sunnis and Shias in Kurram Agency, officials said Sunday.