PARACHINAR, Dec 25: Violence spread to more areas in the Kurram Agency on Tuesday amid reports of infiltration of militants from nearby areas, sources said.
Four people were killed and 10 others were injured in clashes during the day, raising the death toll to 12 in three days. Doctors said that 32 injured people had been admitted to the agency headquarters hospital in Parachinar. However, the exact casualty figures could not be ascertained.
Political Agent Zaheerul Islam confirmed only seven casualties in three days of clashes.
A senior official told Dawn in Peshawar that the Civil Secretariat, Fata, had sought more army troops to cope with the situation.
“The authorities have formally requested the 11 Corps Headquarters to send more troops to the agency to control the situation,” the official said.
The ISPR’s Director-General, Maj-Gen Waheed Arshad, however, said that an adequate number of troops had already been deployed in the region. If local authorities needed reinforcements, the army would take their demand into consideration, said Maj-Gen Arshad.
A security official, Shakil Qadir, confirmed that skirmishes continued in different parts of the agency and there was a likelihood of reconvening the peace jirga to broker a ceasefire.
A 15-member jirga from Hangu had left the area after it failed to broker a truce. It was constituted by the NWFP governor.
Heavy clashes were reported from Sadda, Balishkhel, Alizai, Tangai, Anzeri and Shashu. Security was tightened in Parachinar city and authorities did not relax curfew restrictions on Tuesday.
In the Balishkhel area, rival groups set houses on fire, displacing a large number of people.
