In the wake of frequent violent acts in areas adjacent to Charsada district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the political administration of Mohmand Agency directed the dwellers of Mosal Korona, Tehsil Yakka Ghund to vacate their houses in connection with military action against suspected militants hiding and sheltering in scattered places.
According to administration directives, dwellers from Mosal Korona and its surrounding areas were engaged in loading their belongings to the tractor trolleys, pick-ups and other vehicles and moving towards different places. When contacted by this scribe, Malik Adil Khan, an elder of the area, confirmed the displacement from the area and said that so far 20 families had vacated homes and left the village for an unknown destination.
Unknown militants attacked a training center of the Frontier Constabulary at Mechani, just on the boundary between Charsada and Mohmand Agency on Friday (March 17), adjacent to Mosal Korona. One personnel was killed and four other injured in the suicide attack. Two militants were killed in the attack whereas later the officials claimed killing six militants during a search operation in Mosal Korona.
Malik Adil Khan maintained that people were vacating their homes and shifting to safe places. He said that the affected tribesmen were shifting to unknown places, most probably with relatives in Peshawar and Charsada. The population of the area is around 1,500 households.
The elder claimed that the local people were extending their cooperation to the security forces in action against the militants. Still around 35 people from the area are in lock ups under the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) clauses pertaining to territorial responsibilities.
Beside the displacement from Mosal Korona, unrest was further fuelled amongst the tribes when unknown militants set numerous shops in L Lakaro Bazar in Tehsil Safi, Upper Mohmand on fire on the night between Saturday and Sunday. Two shops were completely gutted whereas a few others were only partially damaged. The militants have been their confirming presence in Lakaro area for several weeks now by issuing threatening letters and warnings to local tribesmen.
In fact, almost all the top leaders and commanders of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JA) belong to different parts of Mohmand Agency, with the militant group claiming responsibilities for almost all terrorist acts taking place throughout Pakistan for the last two months. Armed forces are in retaliatory action against TTP JA militants sheltering in the border areas of Lal Pura district since February 17.
Meanwhile, security forces late on Saturday night claimed repulsing a militant attack from Afghanistan in border areas of Khyber Agency and shooting dead three militants.
