December 31, 2001	Monday	Shawwal 15, 1422

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KOHAT, Dec 30: Six army companies (4500 troops) which were patrolling the western borders with Afghanistan for more than two months to block the entry of Al Qaeda men into the country continued moving slowly out of the Kurram Agency, 190kms west of here, with its equipment on the third consecutive day in the wake of mounting tension on the eastern borders with India on Sunday.

Eye witnesses said that army troops were vacating the borders in the tribal territory in trucks paving the way for the deployment of strong contingents of the frontier constabulary and other agencies to keep vigil on the Durand Line.

Four helicopters were also assisting the movement of the equipment to the down country at the Kohat air base which was regularly used for the deployment of army along the Pakistan-Afghan borders months ago.

An official of the Kurram militia informed Dawn that the task of the army had been completed to some extent as there was no threat to the state from its western borders where the troops were deployed by Pakistan being a front line country in the War against terror in Afghanistan.

He said that not all of the troops would leave the area immediately but it would depend on how the situation took turn on the western borders where so far the war threat had increased enormously during the past few days. “The presence of the troops along the western borders will remain intact but on a limited scale or as such the situation evolves in future”, he remarked

Pakistan had deployed more than a division of its army along the 2,250kms long Pakistan-Afghan borders and had also moved light and heavy artillery towards it but decided to move it towards the Line of Control and the international borders with India to meet any challenge in view of the threats continuously being hurled against Pakistan by the Indian government.