The death toll in attack on Security forces check posts at Chitral by Afghan militants rises to 33 when eight dead bodies recovered from the debris of destroyed check posts at Arandu area on Sunday. The officials said that a number of personnel are still missing and efforts are underway for their recovery. Officials at Chitral town said funeral prayers for 33 personnel were held and the dead bodies dispatched to native villages.
They said the killed personnel included 24 from Chitral Scouts, four police officials and five Border Levies Forces. Amongst them only one Janat Gul a head constable in police belong to Kohat whereas the remaining belonged to scattered areas of Chitral. As per details, after the deployment of security force contingents in the border regions along with Kunar and Nooristan provinces of Afghanistan, officials recovered eight dead bodies on Sunday. They said that the dead bodies were recovered from the premises of destroyed checkposts in Arandu.
There are conflicting reports over missing personnel in the Saturday attack by militants from Afghanistan. Security forces officials said that only four persons were missing whereas local people in Arandu believe the number of missing persons was more than 10. The District Coordination Officer Chitral Rehnmat Ullah Wazir said that he was still waiting for an exact number.
Talking to Pakistan Today on telephone from Chitral, Rehmat Ullah Wazir said the militants who attacked the check posts in border region were wearing Afghan National army uniforms. He alleged that they had enjoyed the support or backing of the Afghan government. The Foreign Office has already summoned Afghan Charge D Affairs and lodged a strong protest. Locals at Arandu informed that since Saturday Afghan and NATO choppers had been air patrolling the area and the choppers had also violated Pakistani air space and entered Chitral which had caused unrest amongst locals.
Meanwhile, Siraj Ud Din introducing himself as Tehrik Taliban Malakand spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack. He claimed that they shot dead 70 security forces personnel and abducted seven others. Siraj Ud Din said he was a close relative of Maulana Fazal Ullah and had gone missing just before military action against militants in Swat. The Inter Services Public Relations (ISOPR) on Saturday accused Taliban militant commanders Fazal Ullah and Faqir Mohammad of masterminding the attack against security forces check posts at Chitral. The officials alleged militants had escaped from Swat in the border areas near Bajaur, Dir and Chitral and had been attacking security forces and government loyal tribal elders and volunteers since last June.
