PESHAWAR, Jan 6: Panic has gripped Kurram Agency with locals feeling growing fear about their safety because of a rise in violations of Pakistan’s airspace by suspected American planes.

Local people believe that the foreign planes might bomb their area during such ‘extended operations’ because of the activities of suspected militant elements, who, they say, are outsiders.

The surveillance missions usually originate from Khost and the aircraft fly over the Spin Ghar area toward Tora Bora in Nangarhar and ‘up to 50km deep’ into Pakistan, local tribesmen said.

Kurram borders Afghanistan’s Khost, Paktika, Paktia and Nangarhar provinces.

But the Foreign Office denied any knowledge of airspace violations and said that the matter should ‘better be raised with the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)’.

“The Foreign Office has no information about intrusion of planes from Afghanistan,” spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said on Saturday.

She said the government did not allow the United States or North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces in Afghanistan to enter Pakistani airspace for reconnaissance missions or other military activities.

Local people feel insecure because of frequent airspace violations by US aircraft over the Kurram valley and indications of suspicious activities on the ground by some elements in the area, which is comparatively peaceful.

Nato and the Afghan army have been conducting operations against insurgents in Khost near the border and the area has been shaken by heavy bombardments.

The local administration and tribesmen voluntarily prohibited display of weapons in the tribal agency about a decade ago.

Sources said ‘outsider’ elements had been breaching the ban.

Residents and officials said that a bloody clash had been averted when the Levies stopped about 100 men carrying rocket launchers and heavy weapons at a checkpoint near Parachinar on Dec 28.

They said the armed men in coaches had demanded passage towards the border area and threatened the Levies men of ‘dire consequences’ if their demand was not met.

The sources said that Levies personnel had sought help from local villagers to resolve the standoff.

As negotiations between the officials and the armed men progressed, the authorities received ‘directives’ to let them proceed.

The sources said movement of armed groups was more open in the lower parts of the Kurram Agency and areas adjacent to North Waziristan.