November 23, 2008	Sunday	Ziqa'ad 24, 1429

KHAR, Nov 22: Nine suspected militants were killed and five others injured in a military action in which artillery and mortars were used in Bajaur on Saturday.

It is learnt that four women were killed and two others injured when a bomb dropped by a fighter plane landed in the Kaskariwand village.

The women were fetching water from a spring when the incident took place.

Sources said air strikes intensified in the Mamond sub-division and fighter planes hit many suspected positions on Saturday.

The sources said that militants besieged houses of several pro-government tribal elders in Oiasha Shakaro and Kherkai areas and they were being pressurised to disband the lashkar.

The militants reportedly kidnapped tribal elder Malik Gulzada who was spearheading the Mamond lashkar.

The sources claimed that militants were regrouping in Mamond and morale of volunteers working for the lashkar was on the decline and many of them had deserted.

The militants are well-trained and well-equipped and tribal volunteers could not face them, the sources quoted a volunteer as saying.