April 13, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1429

TANK, April 12: Security forces demolished houses of two suspected militants in Tank district on Saturday and recovered weapons and ammunition, officials said. The house demolition operation was carried out in Baba Khel area, some six kilometres southwest of the Tank city.

Local people said that police and paramilitary forces backed by army troops demolished the houses of two suspected militant commanders identified as Khan Gul Bhittani and Waheedullah Bhittani in the Baba Khel area. They said that law enforcement agencies took away Zer Gul, brother of Khan Gul, and shifted to undisclosed location for interrogation.

They said that forces besieged the area on Friday evening. The families of the militants had already shifted to some other place. Both militant commanders were wanted by the authorities in subversive activities.

It is pertinent to mention here that demolition of houses is not allowed in settled areas. Security forces can only demolish property and residential compounds of the militants under the collective and territorial responsibility clauses of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) in the tribal areas.

Local police officer Iqbal Khattak, when approached, said that army conducted the house demolition operation and police was not responsible for this act.

BODIES: Militants handed over bodies of three personnel of the Bajaur Scouts to their relatives in the Mehsud area of South Waziristan tribal region on Saturday, sources said. These soldiers were killed during the military operation in Mehsud area in January last.

Sources said that families of the deceased soldiers had approached militant commanders to hand over them their bodies.