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India-Pakistan

Security man killed in Kurram attack

2011-11-05

[Dawn] A security man was killed and two others were maimed when cut-throats attacked a checkpost near Sadda in Kurram tribal agency on Thursday. Sources said that cut-throats attacked a checkpost of Levies Force near Sadda with heavy and light weapons. The Levies personnel also retaliated and exchange of fire continued for several hours. A security many identified as Gulab Gul was killed while Sharab Khan and Fazli Khan were maimed in the attack. The injured were taken to Sadda hospital. Meanwhile, ...back at the hoedown, Bob finally got to dance with Sally... a house and a vehicle were partially damaged when cut-throats fired three missiles at Pewar area of Kurram. In Bannu, a policeman was killed and two others received injuries when unidentified persons opened firing on them on Thursday evening. Sources said that coppers were patrolling Surani area when unidentified persons opened firing on them. A constable identified as Wahab Khan was killed and his two colleagues -- Rukhsar and Samiullah -- received injuries in the attack. In Khyber Agency, armed persons kidnapped four relatives of a former commander of a proscribed myrmidon organization in Bara tehsil on Wednesday evening. Officials said that a son, nephew, uncle and another relative of Haji Amal Gul were kidnapped at gunpoint from their house in Malikdin Khel area. Haji Amal Gul, a founding member of Lashkar-i-Islam, deserted the banned group after developing differences with its chief Mangal Bagh ...a former bus driver, now head of the Deobandi bandido group Lashkar-e-Islam and the Terror of Khyber Agency... early this year. He serviced an attempt on his life about two months ago when his car was targeted with a remote controlled bomb in Bara. Meanwhile, ...back at the dirigible, Jack stuck the cigar in his mouth, stepped onto the gantry, and asked Got a light, Mac? Von Schtinken stopped short, lowering the dagger and trying to control his features. If you light that thing, Herr Armschtröng, he pointed out, his voice tense, we all die!... cut-throats forcibly occupied the houses of Jan Khan, Khana Jan and Sial Jan in Sipah area. Sources said that cut-throats also stocked huge quantity of arms and ammunition in the occupied houses and were preparing for a showdown with the security forces, busy in an operation in the area. In Spin Qabar area, cut-throats destroyed the houses of two school teachers.

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India-Pakistan

'Troops to stay in Bara'

2008-07-07

Security forces will stay in Bara as long as the government's objectives of peace and security are not achieved, Khyber Agency Political Agent (PA) Tariq Hayat said on Sunday. Hayat was talking to reporters after talks with a 35-member Afridi tribe jirga. In the meantime, he added, the government and tribal jirga would keep in contact and discuss various options on how to bring lasting peace to the region. The Khyber Agency political administration also lifted the curfew from Bara Bazaar following a request by the jirga. The jirga, led by Haji Amal Gul, held talks with PA Hayat at his office in Peshawar, following which the PA ordered the opening of the market to facilitate residents. Hayat said that the tribal elders had been assured that all the jirga's demands in accordance with the law of the land, Shariah and local norms and traditions would be accepted. The government also formed a three-member committee, consisting of the Bara assistant political agent, the Jamrud tehsildar and the Bara naib tehsildar to continue negotiations with the Afridi tribe, he said.

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India-Pakistan

Govt suspends Bara operation

2008-07-05

The government on Friday suspended its security operation against suspected militants and criminals in the Khyber Agency for 36 hours to allow Afridi tribesmen to meet Mangal Bagh and conduct peace talks. "The operation has been suspended until Saturday morning on the request of the tribal jirga and we have relaxed the curfew in Bara to facilitate locals," Khyber Agency Chief Administrator Tariq Hayat Khan told Daily Times. He said that Afridi elders had approached him on Thursday and offered to conduct negotiations with Lashkar-e-Islam chief Mangal Bagh to help restore peace in the area. Khan said the government had provided the jirga members with a list of demands for Bagh, adding that these included surrender of all weapons along with a guarantee that Bagh would not challenge the state's writ. "The jirga was not sent by the government. The Afridi tribesmen initiated it on their own as they were worried that the security operation could continue indefinitely until all the set goals had been achieved," he added. The 18-member Afridi jirga left for Tirah Valley on Thursday to conduct negotiations with Mangal Bagh, tribal sources said. It returned on Friday evening, chief tribal negotiator Haji Amal Gul told Daily Times. "There has been progress (in talks) but we cannot share with media," he added. He said the jirga would brief Khan on the talks with Bagh on Saturday (today). Operation to resume: "If our goals can be achieved through peaceful means, we will certainly pursue them. But, rest assured, we will continue the operation as long as our demands are not met," Khan said, prior to the jirga's return. He said security forces had destroyed 16 militant compounds during the past six days of the operation, adding that they had also identified 14 other such compounds. He said the remaining centres would also be destroyed if the jirga failed to convince Bagh to surrender to the government. Due to relaxation in the operation, Bara Bazaar was open on Friday, and several cars were observed on the roads for the first time since the operation was launched on June 28. Authorities also relaxed the curfew from 8am to 5pm. Local residents used this time to purchase essential commodities, said local trader Daud Khan Afridi. The government ordered the military operation in Khyber Agency following challenges to Peshawar security from Mangal Bagh's organisation and other criminals.

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India-Pakistan

Bara tribesmen accuse Lashkar of running parallel government

2007-05-20

Lashkar-e-Islam has established a parallel government in Bara and the government should take action against the group to protect citizens from its extremism, Taj Malook, Inayatur Rehman, Waris Khan and Abdul Waheed of Bara told a press conference at Peshawar Press Club here on Saturday. They alleged that the armed Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) activists had demolished 10 houses in Bara on Friday setting them on fire after looting them for valuable household items. They claimed that the Khasadar force had helped the Lashkar in this matter. The four men said that the LI has established a “parallel government” in Bara and has also been illegally operating an FM radio station for nearly two years despite a government ban on FM stations. They alleged that LI forced private and public schools to remain closed for days at a time, resulting in a considerable waste of time for the students. Armed LI activists patrol government roads and set up illegal check posts. No one stops them from such activities. Political authorities depend on the Frontier Corps to provide law and order but Commandant Colonel Mahmud Raza and other high officials are receiving Rs 100,000 to Rs 300,000 in bribes from Haji Amal Gul of Malak Din Khel tribe to smuggle goods through the Sorghar area. “Armed LI activists patrol government roads and set up illegal check posts as well. No one stops them from such activities.” They said that during the past year and a half, several people had fled the area due to the LI’s activities. They claimed that political authorities depend on the Frontier Corps to provide law and order in the area but Commandant Colonel Mahmud Raza and other high officials are receiving Rs 100,000 to Rs 300,000 in bribes from Haji Amal Gul of Malak Din Khel tribe to smuggle goods through the Sorghar area. The Bara residents alleged that when the political authorities had ordered the FC to take action against the LI, the Mehsud Scouts had refused to carry out the orders, rendering the political authorities helpless before the FC. They also alleged that some members of the Khasadar force are aligned with the LI. “Peshawar is not immune to what is happening in Bara and repercussions will affect the city if the government doesn’t put an end to this parallel government,” they said.

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India-Pakistan

LI stages rally to protest killing of students in Bara

2007-04-26

The Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) staged a rally on Wednesday in Mandi Kas, some five kilometres from the Bara Bazaar, to protest the killing of four students in recent clashes. Most of the rally participants were armed youths, while the speakers condemned the killings of students and demanded the government let Mufti Munir Shakir live in Bara. Protesters passed a resolution calling for restoration of peace in the area through a jirga. They also demanded the government reconstruct the LI’s demolished centres. Haji Amal Gul Afridi, belonging to Malak Din Khel tribe and chief of an organisation called ‘Sarishta’, told Daily Times that the recent clash between the LI and government had disturbed the law and order situation in Bara, and that the government was responsible for the present state of affairs. “The LI is playing its due role to maintain peace in Bara,” he added. Asim Afridi, a shopkeeper, said his daily sales had plummeted from Rs 30,000 to Rs 15,000 after the recent clashes, adding that students should not be involved in politics. Saifud Din, who runs a public call office, said the crisis had massively affected his business and that the government was responsible for it. A taxi driver, requesting anonymity, told Daily Times that the situation in Bara had started worsening when several organisations emerged in the area. He said the LI workers had forced drivers to hoist LI’s black flags on their vehicles lest they should be fined. LI Commander Mohamad Tayyeb said Benazir Bhutto should review her statement condemning the LI activities, lest her party should suffer in the Khyber Agency. “Our protest will continue till Mufti Munir is back in Bara and demolished markets are reconstructed,” said Tayyab, adding that the government had agreed in a jirga to hand over the house of Pir Saifur Rehman to the LI, and that they had 30 witnesses to bear out this agreement. “Setting up check posts, fining people and burning down a criminal’s house are part of the Khyber Agency’s tribal customs, and we fine only those people against whom we have valid complaints,” said the Lashkar commander, adding that the LI had not instigated students to come to streets.

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India-Pakistan

LI supporters riot in Bara

2007-04-23

Angry protesters set fire to five security check posts, plundered several shops and exchanged fire with security forces here following the end of a two-day deadline given by Lashkar-e-Islami (LI) chief Mangal Bagh to the Frontier Corps (FC) and Khasadars to vacate seized centres of the LI. Mangal Bagh had warned the security forces in an announcement on FM radio two days ago that the organisation would start protests if the LI centres were not vacated by 6am on Sunday. Soon after the deadline ended, several people, most of them children from various tribes, reached Bara Bazaar from Qambarabad, Shaikhan and Alhaj market and set five check posts ablaze. The protesters plundered several shops in the bazaar and also damaged government property. The security personnel fired tear gas and used batons to disperse the mob. The protesters later moved into a settled area near Bara and destroyed several music and video shops there. During the same protests, activists of the LI set four houses of their rivals on fire while the FC managed to protect the house of Pir Saifur Rehman after a two-hour shootout. Four LI activists and a passer-by were injured in the gunbattle. As the protesters entered Bara Bazaar, some LI activists demolished the house of Khalifa Majid Malang, a former leader of the Afridi tribe, and tried to enter Arjli Naddi Centre in Shalober, but returned after holding talks with FC and Khasadar personnel. The LI activists then demolished the nearby houses of Ansarul Islam supporters Ghani Malang and Shahbaz Khan. They also set fire to the house of another rival, Zamindar Badshah, in the Sipah area of Bara. Meanwhile, the Malakdin Khel tribe has announced that it will not cooperate with the government until it reconstructs a demolished market and compensates the tribesmen. Addressing a press conference, Malakdin Khel supreme commander Haji Amal Gul Afridi said his tribe had cooperated with the government and complied with a notice to vacate the market without resistance, but the government destroyed the market with dynamite instead of discussing the issue with them.

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