- At least 37 militants killed in Operation Khyber 1
- Search operation underway in Akakhel, 365 civilian families leave for safe areas
The political administration of Khyber Agency has given a three-day deadline to militants in Jamrud and Bara areas to lay down their arms and surrender or face a full-fledged operation, three days after the launch of Operation Zarb-e-Azb Khyber 1 in parts of Sipah and Akakhel areas in which 37 militants have been killed so far while 50 others-including important militant commanders – have surrendered.
Pamphlets containing the message to surrender arms as well as the deadline to militants were dropped from helicopters in Jamrud and Bara areas of Khyber, a private news outfit reported Sunday.
The announcement ended hopes of talks, which a tribal jirga had recommended to the government, a day earlier.
Most jirga members had wanted an immediate halt to the ongoing Operation Khyber 1 and asked for a channel of negotiations to be opened with the outlawed militant groups of Bara.
Khyber agency’s political agent Shahab Ali Shah, however, had rejected the jirga’s recommendations about holding talks with militants and said that the jirga was not convened to authorise elders to hold talks with anti-state elements.
“You are authorised only to talk to those who surrender to security forces and accept the writ of the government,” he said.
The jirga ended inconclusively as tribal elders refused to shoulder the collective territorial responsibilities during the ongoing military operation against militants in their respective areas.
In the meanwhile, at least 37 suspected militants were reportedly killed as Khyber 1 operation continued for the third consecutive day on Sunday while 50 others including important commanders– have so far surrendered to the security forces, Radio Pakistan reported.
The operation was launched on credible information about the presence of militants in parts of Sipah and Akkakhel areas, said Shah.
Mangal Bagh-led Lashkar-e-Islam has reportedly had a strong presence in the areas being targeted in the operation.
The security forces have sought cooperation from the tribesmen to clear the area of terrorists and have also told the militants to surrender arms and accept the writ of the government.
A search operation against miscreants in the Akakhel of Tirah valley in Bara is also underway, according to security forces.
Anticipating a military operation in their areas in Tirah valley, hundreds of Akakhel families had begun leaving their homes in Dars Jumaat, Shaddaly, Darota and Kulla areas of Akakhel.
Over 365 civilian families have reportedly migrated to safe places through the Ali Masjid route and Orakzai registration point set up by the security forces near Tirah.
The latest operation was launched amidst the military offensive Zarb-e-Azb, a full-fledged military operation being conducted by the Pakistani military against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in North Waziristan tribal region.
