Militants resume armed patrolling in Swat

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Essa Khankhel
MINGORA: The situation in Swat has again become tense as the Taliban have resumed armed patrolling besides setting up checkposts and issuing warnings to security personnel to hold back.

The militants also kidnapped four persons, including a servant of veteran politician Afzal Khan Lala from Durushkhela on Tuesday. Besides, five others, including a Tehsil Naib Nazim, were kidnapped from the Shangla district.

The Taliban carried out armed patrolling in different areas of Matta, Khwazakhela, Kabal, Barikot, Kanju and Qamber, situated three kilometres ahead of Mingora on the Peshawar Road. The militants also established checkpoints and bunkers in various parts of the valley.

On the other hand, security forces started checking vehicles at their checkpoints. The developments since the last two days have once again increased tension in the conflict-ravaged valley. The tension has led to apprehensions of return of violence and fresh operation in Swat.

Talking to The News, Muslim Khan said the Taliban had the right to patrol roads after setting up of checkpoints by security forces. He warned of taking a strong action against security forces “if they dared to act against the Taliban”.

The militants had kidnapped 10 people, several of them security personnel the other day, prompting the forces to resume checking vehicles. Four persons, the Taliban claimed to be soldiers, were produced before the media here on Tuesday at an undisclosed location.

Picked up from Khwazakhela, the four were identified as Lieutenants Najam and Junaid, Naik Shahid Rahman and Lance Naik Shakeel. The militants claimed they recovered two hand grenades, two Kalashnikovs and two cameras from the captured persons.

The militants claimed the four persons first identified themselves to be cloth dealers and then media persons. However, changing their previous statements, they admitted to be security personnel. The captives told the media that they were soldiers.

Military sources neither rejected nor confirmed the identity of the four captured persons. As the incidents of kidnapping continued unabated in the valley, the militants picked up four more persons, including a servant of Awami National Party leader Afzal Khan Lala from Durushkhela area of Matta Tehsil, Gul Haidar, Muhammad Jan, servants of Col (retd) Ghaffar Khan, Tehsil Nazim of Matta Abdul Jabbar Khan and Sher. Afzal Khan confirmed the kidnapping of his servant.

In Shangla, five persons, including Tehsil Naib Nazim of Puran Nazir Khan and former union council Nasratkhel Nazim Gul Saeed Shah, were kidnapped from Martung and Puran.

Meanwhile, Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed chaired a high-level meeting at Chakdara, Lower Dir, to take stock of the security situation and other problems in Malakand Division. District coordination officers and district police officers of all the seven districts participated in the meeting. The officers were asked to concentrate on infrastructure development, education and better traffic system in their respective districts. Regarding security, it was decided to convene a grand Jirga of the elders from all the districts.

Further, students in the Sarsenai and Totano Bandai areas staged protests against security forces for staying in schools and among the civilian population.

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