Wednesday, July 7, 2010

80 percent area in Kurram Agency cleared from militants-Col Touseef


80 percent area in Kurram Agency cleared from militants-Col Touseef
PARACHINAR, July 6 (APP): Commander Incharge Kurram Militia, Col Touseef Akhtar Tuesday claimed that 80 percent of Kurram Agency has been purged from militants while remaining area would also be cleared from the miscreants very soon. He said this while talking with a group of newsmen air flown by FC to Parachinar, headquarters of Kurram Agency. Briefing the newsmen about the military operation in the area, Col Touseef said Kurram Agency was divided into three zones and the brave officials of para military force forced the militants to escape from the area. He said the militants had made the life of Kurram dwellers very miserable and innocent people were killed without any reason. The militants, he continued, had closed Tall-Parachinar road as a result of which supply of essential items including food and medicine to the agency was very nominal. In few areas, he added, fifty kg bag of wheat flour was sold at a rate of Rs. 7000 to Rs. 8000 because of the acute scarcity of the commodity. Similarly, he added, due to shortage of wheat several people died because they were not able to get proper treatment. The Kurram Militia, he continued, has made a resolve of combating with militants and purging the area from them. Due to firm resolve of the armed forces, the agency was not only cleared from miscreants, but the 89 kilometer Tall-Parachinar road were reopened after a gap of three years, he added. Col Touseef informed newsmen that force have also took control of Pak-Afghan border area. The sectarian strife in the agency was also resolved to a greater extend by holding Peace Jirga, he added. He said in Upper Kurram, the Doogar area was cleared from militants within a fortnight. The area was in control of militants from the last two years. In Doogar, he continued, the militants had established training camps and were holding drugs business. The Doogar operation was completed on December 12, 2009 in which 18 officials embraced martyrdom and 47 were injured. While 96 militants were killed. He informed that a wanted Taliban leader, Mullah Toofan also belonged to this area who was also killed in the operation. He said the militants had spread terror in the region and made the life of people miserable by carrying out kidnapping and killing. However, the brave action taken by armed forces has broke their back and successfully cleared the area from miscreants. APP/ Hamid

Category: NATIONAL

Date:
2010-07-06

Source: http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=14&Itemid=38
 

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Eighty per cent of Kurram cleared of militants: army(dawn news)

Eighty per cent of Kurram cleared of militants: army

Tuesday, 06 Jul, 2010
 
Different militant hideouts were also wiped out during the operation. – File Photo

PESHAWAR: Eighty per cent of the Kurram tribal region has been cleared of militants and the military operation in the area is still underway, Commandant Col. Tauseef Akhtar said on Tuesday.

 

Briefing local and international press at Parachinar, Col. Akhtar said that the convoy traffic had been restored on the Parachinar road however local traffic will only be opened once conditions normalise.

 

Eighteen security personnel have died whereas more than 200 militants have been killed since the military operation started in September 2009, Col. Akhtar said.

 

Different militant hideouts were also wiped out during the operation.

 

During the briefing, local residents requested the security personnel to ensure implementation of measures agreed upon by tribal elders in Murree in May 2008. –

DawnNews


source:http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/44-eighty-per-cent-of-kurram-cleared-of-militants-says-army-fa-01

 

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Kurram Agency almost cleared of terrorists’(sama)

Samaa TV
'Kurram Agency almost cleared of terrorists'
Upadated on: 06 Jul 10 
Staff Report

KURRAM AGENCY: Eighty percent of Kurram Agency has been cleared of terrorists after the operation and Tal-Para Chinar road has been opened for traffic, said Commandant Kurram Militia Colonel Tausif while briefing the media Tuesday.

He said that 18 security officials were martyred in the operation and 46 others were injured.

Citizens were facing a lot of problems due to closing of Tal-Para Chinar Road for a long time. It has been opened now and the passengers are being given all facilities.

He further said that there are certain hideouts of the terrorists still present in Kurram Agency and action is being taken to alleviate them too.

Also, illegal immigration on the Pak-Afghan border has been completely stopped. SAMAA

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Normalcy returning to scenic Kurram Agency

 
Normalcy returning to scenic Kurram Agency

KHURRAM AGENCY: Fumes of narcotics seized by paramilitary forces in the Kurram tribal region could lull a man's senses from quite a distance. Sacks full of hashish worth Rs30 million were only a small part of the multi-billion dollar narco- business carried out by the militants to fund their heinous agenda.

Drugs, weapons and suicide jackets were displayed on white flashy table cloths as Colonel Tauseef Akhtar of the paramilitary Frontier Corps claimed that "Upper Kurram Agency has been cleared of miscreants while the Thall-Parachinar-Sadda highway has been reopened for traffic after a span of more than two and a half years."

Kurram Agency has been ravaged by sectarian violence for years but another force emerged, cashing in on the Shia-Sunni schism — the Taliban aided by al Qaeda.

"Hakimullah Mehsud's presence was quite frequent," Colonel Akhtar told a select group of journalists while travelling towards the Doggar area of Central Kurram, which he said "might still be harbouring militants."

The terrain is difficult. The infamous Tora Bora mountains can be seen silhouetted against the mountains. "Doggar is situated on the confluence of borders of Orakzai and North Waziristan agencies.  Peace in Kurram is directly linked with peace in its neighbouring agencies.
"It took a number of lives to secure this region," a security official told The Express Tribune. However, the area hasn't been completely cleared yet as it's difficult to get to every nook and corner of this agency.

According to official statistics, there are around 150 militants of the Mehdi Militia in Sharku Land, 300 TTP militants in Dogar and about 50 local miscreants in the Pistwana area. These groups were aided by "foreign countries", officials said without elaborating.

As we travelled on the bumpy track towards the Lower Kurram area, the condition of road started deteriorating. Our vehicles, escorted by around 50 paramilitary troops, stopped at the end of the road in a ravine. We found ourselves in front of cave-like structures in the mountain. The place is known as Sheesho. Ironically – the area is supplied with electricity.

"It's a training camp from the era of the Afghan war, which was taken over by the Taliban," a security officer said. "It was used as a training centre and the caves are almost 500 feet long."

Stock of food items, exercise machines, rusted handcuffs and ropes were lying on the mouth of the tunnels. "These things along with the ICRC hospital (turned into a human abattoir) were used as torture cells by militants where abductees were kept or killed," a local resident told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity. "More than 100 militants lived here, after we bombarded the area, some two dozen were killed while the rest escaped," said Wing Commander Sajjad. "We found only one body. They never leave behind their dead," he explained.

Officials say 18 security officials lost their lives, while 46 were injured. Around 96 militants were also killed during the operation, codenamed Khwakh Ba De Sham, meaning "I'll Teach You a Lesson." "However, maintaining law and order is a continuous process," said Col Akhtar, pointing towards the Orakzai Agency. "This post of Ghlo Ghundair has been attacked several times, most recently a week ago, therefore it will take some time to restore complete peace in the region," he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th,  2010.
Source:http://tribune.com.pk/story/26175/normalcy-returning-to-scenic-kurram-agency/
 

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80pc area of Kurram Agency cleared: official(the news)

 

80pc area of Kurram Agency cleared: official

Wednesday, July 07, 2010
PARACHINAR: Commander In-charge Kurram Militia Col Touseef Akhtar on Tuesday claimed that 80 per cent of Kurram Agency has been purged of militants while remaining area would also be cleared very soon.

He stated this while talking to a group of journalists flown by FC to Parachinar, headquarters of Kurram Agency.Briefing the reporters about the military operation in the area, Col Touseef said that Kurram Agency was divided into three zones and the brave personnel of paramilitary forced the militants to escape from the area. He said the militants had made the life of Kurram residents miserable and innocent people were killed without any reason.

The militants, he said, had closed Tall-Parachinar Road as a result of which supply of essential items, including food and medicines, to the agency was very nominal. In few areas, he added, 50-kg bag of wheat flour was sold at a rate of Rs7,000 to Rs8,000 because of the acute scarcity of the commodity. Similarly, he added, due to shortage of wheat several people died because they were unable to get proper treatment.

The Kurram Militia, the official said, has resolved to fight militants and purge the area of them. Due to firm resolve of the armed forces, he said, the agency was not only cleared of miscreants but the 89-kilometre Tall-Parachinar Road was reopened after a period of three years.

Col Touseef said that forces also took control of Pak-Afghan border area. He said the sectarian strife in the agency was also resolved to a greater extent by holding peace jirga. He said in Upper Kurram, the Doogar area was cleared of militants within a fortnight. The area was in control of militants for the last two years. In Doogar, he said, the militants had established training camps and were running drug business. The Doogar operation was completed on December 12 last year in which 18 officials embraced martyrdom and 47 were injured while 96 militants were killed.

The officer said that a wanted Taliban leader, Mullah Toofan, also belonged to this area and was killed in the operation. He said the militants had spread terror in the region and made the life of people miserable by carrying out kidnapping and killing. The brave action taken by armed forces, however, dealt a severe blow to them and the area was successfully cleared.

source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=249311
 

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‘80pc of Kurram Agency cleared of terrorists’

Daily Times

'80pc of Kurram Agency cleared of terrorists'

* Kurram Militia commander in-charge says 89-km Tall-Parachinar Road reopened after three years
* Swat commanders say establishment of Swat cantonment to be announced in 2-3 months


PARACHINAR/SWAT: Around 80 percent of the Kurram Agency has been cleared of the Taliban and the remaining parts of the agency will also be cleared soon, Kurram Militia Commander In-charge Colonel Touseef Akhtar said on Tuesday.

Talking to reporters, Touseef said the Kurram Agency was divided into three zones and the brave personnel of the paramilitary forced had forced the Taliban to flee from the area.

The militants, he said, had closed the Tall-Parachinar Road as a result of which the supply of essential items – including food and medicine – to the agency had been very nominal. In a few areas, he added, a 50 kilogramme bag of flour was sold at a rate of Rs 7,000 to Rs. 8,000 because of the scarcity of the commodity.

Reopened: Due to the firm resolve of the armed forces, the 89-kilometre-long Tall-Parachinar Road had been reopened after a period of three years, he said.

Touseef informed reporters that the security forces had also gained control of the Pak-Afghan border area.

The sectarian strife in the agency had also been reduced to a great extent by holding the peace jirga, he said.

The Doogar area in Upper Kurram, which had been under the militant's control for the last couple of years, was cleared by the troops within a fortnight, Touseef said. In Doogar, he continued, the militants had established training camps and were also trafficking drugs. The Doogar operation was completed on December 12, 2009, in which 18 troopers embraced martyrdom and 47 were injured, while 96 Taliban were killed, he added.

Mullah Toofan, a wanted Taliban leader who belonged to the area, was also killed in the operation, Touseef said.

Cantonment: Separately, talking to a team of reporters from the Peshawar Press Club, Swat operation commanders Colonel Bilal and Colonel Tabish said that the formal announcement about establishing the cantonment in Swat would be made in two to three months time.

The commander said that land for the proposed cantonment had been identified and construction work would start once the necessary formalities are completed. app


source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\07\07\story_7-7-2010_pg7_12

 

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