July 02, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 27, 1429

LANDI KOTAL, July 1: Security forces continued their attacks on hideouts of militants in the Khyber tribal region on Tuesday, dismantled two centres of extremist organisations and arrested 24 suspects.

Officials said the Frontier Corps and Levies had destroyed the centres in Bara sub-division during a joint operation codenamed Siraat-i-Mustaqeem.

Security was beefed up in Bara town and paramilitary troops were deployed in the main bazaar. Troops secured government offices and sealed all entry and exit points.

The officials said the forces had blown up a compound of Mufti Munir Shakir, the founder of Lashkar-i-Islam, in Nala Malikdinkhel. The residence of Pir Saifur Rehman was destroyed in the Mandi Kas locality. Both the controversial clerics were expelled from Bara in 2006.

An official said that a kidnapped man, identified as Gul Miran, had been freed during a raid on the hideout of Lashkar-i-Islam. Eleven activists of the organisation were arrested, but there was no casualty.

According to a handout issued by the Fata secretariat in Peshawar, law-enforcement personnel faced some resistance during the raid on Mufti Shakir’s compound. Eighteen militants were arrested and eight AK-47 rifles, three vehicles and a motorcycle were seized.

Meanwhile, Lashkar-i-Islam chief Mangal Bagh is reported to have contacted the political authorities and expressed willingness to resolve the issue through dialogue. Sources said that the administration was likely to initiate a political process at any stage.

A senior official told Dawn in Peshawar that security forces had arrested 44 militants since Saturday.

He said five elders had approached the administration on behalf of Mangal Bagh on Tuesday and called for holding talks. He said the government would hold talks only if Mangal Bagh disbanded his private militia, guaranteed good conduct and accepted the government’s writ.

Meanwhile, clashes between rival religious groups continued in the remote Tirah Valley of the Khyber tribal region. Forty-four people have lost their lives in the gunbattles between the activists of Lashkar-i-Islam and Ansarul Islam over the past 10 days.

KHASADDARS RELEASED: Fourteen Khasaddars, who were kidnapped from Jamrud tehsil of Khyber a few days ago, were set free on Tuesday.

They were kidnapped from checkposts on the main Peshawar-Torkham Highway.