September 17, 2008	Wednesday	Ramazan 16, 1429

MINGORA, Sept 16: Taliban leaders in Swat have agreed to pull out of the Koza Bandai area and allow security forces to take control of the area on Wednesday morning, the chief of the Kanju peace jirga told Dawn on Tuesday night.

In return, he said, the security forces would withdraw from the area after demining tunnels, defusing explosive devices and restoring electricity and telephone services.

Sayed Inamur Rehman, who is heading the jirga, said that peace talks were moving in the ‘right direction’.

Kozabandai, a stronghold of militants loyal to hardline cleric Maulana Fazlullah, has been under troops’ siege for several days. Mr Rehman made it clear that the scope of negotiations was limited to Kozabandai. “People in other areas will have to devise their own plans to deal with the situation.”

Troops deployed in the area would assess the extent of damage in fighting between Taliban militants and security forces, he said.

He hoped that after the withdrawal of the Taliban and the security forces, about 15,000 displaced people, would be able to return to their homes.

The same jirga had earlier held several rounds of talks with both sides.

Maulana Fazlullah talked to jirga members on phone and assured them that efforts would be made to end violence.

The jirga included Prof Mian Noor Nawab, union council Nazim Karimul Hadi, Master Mohammad Amin and Advocate Peroz Shah.

Army officers had reportedly told the jirga that the Taliban would have to renounce militancy and leave Koza Bandai or surrender before the possibility of a ceasefire could be considered. Sources said that the militants had insisted that they would only leave the area if the troops also withdrew. The army had earlier rejected the demand and resumed attacks on Monday.

Meanwhile, three security personnel were killed and nine others were injured when a suicide bomber hit a post manned jointly by police and troops in Totano Bandai, about 40 kilometers northeast of here.

According to a handout issued by Inter Services Public Relations, the building hit by the blast had collapsed.

The death toll may rise because several of the injured are in critical condition.

Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said that more than 20 security personnel had been killed in the attack. He claimed that the attacker had evaded stiff security arrangements.

He claimed that some militants, who were accompanying the suicide bomber, had fired several RPG-7 rounds, causing heavy casualties.

Over 43 security personnel, belonging to police, FC and Chitral Scouts, were living in the building in Kabal tehsil. Rescue workers are facing difficulties in shifting the injured to hospitals because the area is under militants’ control.

According to the military spokesman in Swat, militants had fired two rockets on the army base camp in Kabal on Monday night. The rockets landed in an open area and caused no casualties.

The security forces returned fire and the exchange of fire continued for one and a half hours.

The security forces continued their attacks on militants in Akhund Kalley and Kotlai areas on Tuesday.

Two people were killed and several others were injured when a mortar shell fell on a house in Kotlai.

Members of the jirga found bodies of four men who were said to be from Kozabandai. They had been killed in crossfire.

The authorities again imposed curfew in some areas of Swat.