Taliban must lay down arms or face action: ISPR

[Naveed Yaseen]

* 80 Taliban killed, 21 suicide bombing vehicles destroyed in Buner offensive
* 20 girls trapped in Daggar Girls College evacuated

ISLAMABAD: The Taliban in Swat must disarm or face military action, chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said on Sunday.

“Now peace has been restored and the Nizam-e-Adl has been introduced. The miscreants do not have any justification for continuing their armed activities,” Gen Abbas – the director general of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) – said in an interview with BBC. In a press release on Sunday about the military action in Buner the ISPR said the armed forces had killed 80 Taliban in the operation so far. Three soldiers had also died in the operation and eight others had been wounded, it said.

The dead Taliban include an important commander who the ISPR identified only as Khalil. “His real name is Alam Buneri and [he] was among the mainstream leaders of banned organisation – Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan,” the press release said.

According to the military, the security forces have also eliminated 21 vehicles prepared for suicide bombings, and several attackers.

“The operation in Buner is progressing smoothly. Consolidation of positions is being carried out today in Daggar, Buner and surrounding areas,” the press release said.

Meanwhile, troops rescued 20 girls trapped in the Daggar Girls College, the press release said. Fifteen of them were evacuated in a vehicle and were sent to Mardan while five were evacuated by helicopter.

Also on Sunday, the security forces procured medicines for the Daggar Civil Hospital. The hospital had been short of medicines after a Taliban takeover and the subsequent military action.

In the BBC interview, Gen Abbas said the areas where the security forces had faced severe resistance had now been cleared of the Taliban. “The situation is absolutely under control in Buner. The security forces have conducted successful operation on the Ambela-Daggar axis and established linkage with troops at Daggar,” he said.

The ISPR director general said the security forces were now clearing landmines that the Taliban had planted in the area. Movement in the area had been restricted until it has been cleared, he added.

He denied civilians had been killed in the areas in the operation.

To a question about the peace deal in Swat, he said, the government had begun a reconciliatory process in the valley so that peace could be restored. irfan ghauri/app

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...2009_pg1_4