Thousands of hapless civilian population moved to safer places, fleeing Zakha Khel, Tirah Valley, as fierce clashes, that erupted one month before, continued between Lashkar-e-Islam fighters and local Zakha Khel armed tribesmen backed by the security forces, sources said.
Both the sides are claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on each other, but there is no independent verification of their claims as the area is the remotest part of Khyber Agency. The families are moving from Tirah Valley with only basic belongings and cattle to secure and peaceful areas in Khyber Agency.
However, the displaced tribesmen have no idea where to go and are temporarily shifting to their relatives and friends in tehsil Jamrud and Landi Kotal. The local administration of Khyber Agency has so far not arranged any facilities or registration for the displaced people.
A displaced family searching for a rented house was totally exhausted in Shahkas area, bordering Peshawar. A family member, 37, on the condition of anonymity, told Pakistan Today that left the area just to save their lives. “We reached here in five hours by a public transport and brought with us the basic items. Where should we go? There is no place and no one to own us. The government is not in the picture,” he said.
According to unconfirmed reports, some 10,000 families have been displaced from Maidan area while more are coming. Neither any organisation nor political administration has set up any registration point or facilitation desk for the displaced families.
Once known as ‘Amir Sahib’ and a blue-eyed militant commander of Lashkar-e-Islam, Mangal Bagh, joined hands with the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan on which a military operation was launched against him. Now there are reports in Khyber Agency that Mangal Bagh has fled to Afghanistan, but local sources in Tirah Valley said Mangal Bagh-led LI has become weak, but is still resisting the Zakha Khel tribal lashkar led by Ghuncha Gul, a former close aide of Mangal Bagh.
The rival group of LI, Ansaur Islam headed by Qari Mehboob, has also joined hands with Zakha Khel tribe to fight LI militants.
The clashes began at the end of March this year after Lashkar-e-Islam militants killed Maulana Muhammad Hashim, a tribe member, who opposed LI activities. The tribe is demanding Lashkar-e-Islam hand over the militants responsible for the abduction and subsequent killing of Maulana Hashim. Some armed members of Lashkar-e-Islam killed a couple in Tirah Bazar on the charges of illicit relations. The deceased Maulana who enjoyed respect in the area opposed their killing. The militants kidnapped Maulana Hashim and later killed him.