After two days of clashes that left 21, including 14 security personnel and seven civilians, dead and over 65 injured, normalcy returned to Miranshah and its surrounding areas on Tuesday.
Though it is yet to be ascertained on what terms and conditions the security forces and militants agreed to a ceasefire, there is wide range unrest amongst traders and shopkeepers who suffered massive losses.
Reports from Miranshah, headquarters of North Waziristan Agency, said after two days of severe clashes, routine trade and business activities resumed across the town. Owners of the gutted arms market attempted to clean their destroyed shops, whereas common men who remained confined to their homes for more than two days went about purchasing items of daily use.
Security forces remained confined to the barracks inside the fort, while some gun totting local and non-local militants were seen in various parts of Miranshah Bazaar.
It was observed that militants were unaware of what happened during the last two days. Some of the tribal elders have approached the political administration to announce compensation for people, including shopkeepers and traders, who suffered financially in the clashes.
Sources in various hospitals said 14 personnel of security forces and seven civilians, including women and children, had been killed in the last two days, while 65 people had been left injured.
But neither the doctors nor officials were willing to disclose the casualties on the militants’ side. Shopkeepers said they had seen only one militant dead.
During the clashes, two arms markets caught fire when they were hit by a mortar shell on Monday. More than 50 shops were completely gutted, inflicting huge financial losses to owners. A shopkeeper said that he lost more than Rs 13 million when his arms store was destroyed.
The clashes had erupted on Sunday afternoon when a group of armed militants attacked a convoy of security forces near to Amin checkpost.
