UPPER DIR: Participants of a jirga in Upper Dir announced to form an armed tribal force of 20,000 strong men to maintain peace and combat militancy in the region. The jirga also decided to execute harbourers of militants publicly and razed their houses.

The jirga, held here on Sunday, was attended by more than 300 elders of Sultankhel and Paindakhel tribes. The decision was taken in the wake of September 18 incident in which villagers in Nihag Dara fought a gun battle with suspected suicide bombers.

The elders from the two main tribes of Upper Dir vowed that they would not allow any militant or criminal to use their soil for terrorist activities, saying those who were found harbouring and supporting militants in the district would be executed publicly besides razing their houses to ground.