November 12, 2008	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 13, 1429

KOHAT, Nov 11: Armed militants attacked a Kohat-bound passengers’ coach in Orakzai Agency on Tuesday killing an anti-Taliban tribal elder and injuring 13 other commuters.

Taliban spokesman later in the evening talked to this correspondent by phone and accepted responsibility for the attack. He said that their target was Malik Bismillah Khan. “We will continue such attacks until the tribesmen withdraw their support to the government,” he added.He also admitted that they had killed also eight tribesmen of the same tribe a month ago and also kidnapped some of them to punish them for their support to the administration.

Eyewitnesses and injured persons told Dawn in KDA divisional headquarters hospital that they were coming in a passenger hiace from Feroze Khel area of Orakzai Agency to Kohat en route Peshawar.

About 20 to 25 armed Taliban stopped them on the main road and started firing at the vehicle, they said. As a result tribal elder Malik Bismillah Khan, who had been very effective in forming lashkar against Taliban and carrying out efforts to force them leave the area last month, died on the spot.

Thirteen other passengers were seriously injured during the indiscriminate firing at the vehicle. The injured were rushed to Kohat and some of them who were critical were shifted to Peshawar.

“I was going to Peshawar via Kohat to take my flight to Saudi Arabia for Haj on November 13,” an injured, Noorul Haq said. He added when their vehicle was about to approach Kohat on the alternative route armed men stopped it and started firing at Malik Bismillah Khan, who was sitting in the front seat. He got bullet in his head and died immediately. “Taliban have taken positions on the mountains as well as behind the trees and their target was the elder of Feroze Khel tribe,” he added.

A member of lashkar, Gulzaeb, said that Taliban had been attacking Feroze Khel tribesmen since October 10 when the elders evicted them from their soil and formed a 250-men lashkar. They disappeared for some time but then started attacking the tribe. Last month Taliban killed eight tribesmen and then kidnapped six others.

He said that government had been unable to protect the life and property of tribesmen, who raise their voice against Taliban. He said that they were sure that Taliban of Darra Adamkhel were involved in those activities.

“We have no ammunition and arms to face Taliban who are well quipped and have a very strong intelligence network. The administration asks us to form lashkar but does not provide facilities. The one loaded charger of Kalashnikov costs Rs900 which Taliban use in thousands every month. But on the other hand lashkar is not provided ammunition or mortars to fight back. We could not hold jirgas with other tribes after the suicide attack at a jirga in Khadezai area and threats given to them by the Taliban,” he added.