MIRAMSHAH: As military planes continued to attack suspected militant hideouts in North Waziristan on Tuesday, evacuation of thousands of civilians from affected areas has become a major challenge for the government.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that planes destroyed six terrorist hideouts, including a training camp and a factory of explosive devices around Hasokhel, near Mirali.

It claimed that 25 foreign and local terrorists were killed in the strikes. But the claim could not be verified from independent sources. Local people said that some women and children were among those killed.

The statement said that Operation Zarb-i-Azb was progressing as planned and cordons around hideouts, including in Mirali and Miramshah, had been further tightened.

Six hideouts destroyed, 25 militants killed, claims ISPR

It said that three terrorists were killed when they tried to flee from an area in Miramshah. One soldier was injured in an exchange of fire. Air surveillance of operational area by the military’s own surveillance assets continued.

The ISPR said that innocent civilians were safely evacuated after detailed verification and completion of necessary logistics and administrative arrangements for internally displaced persons (IDPs) by the political administration and the Disaster Management Agency. Security of IDP camps was being ensured by troops.

Meanwhile, a curfew clamped in the volatile area on Friday has crippled life with stranded people waiting for early evacuation.

The political administration relaxed the curfew for two hours in Miramshah town on Tuesday and residents thronged shops to buy essential goods.

Officials said the curfew might be lifted on Wednesday to allow trapped civilians to move out to adjacent districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

An official of the political administration in Frontier Region Bannu said that IDPs were not coming to the relief camp in the Bakakhel area. He said that over 60,000 IDPs had been registered so far.

“Lifting the curfew will not serve the purpose unless the government arranged transport for stranded people,” said Haq Nawaz of Miramshah. He said thousands of people had crossed the border into Afghanistan.

Reports said that there were serious shortages of basic commodities and people were running short of food.

“Militants have already vacated Miramshah, Mirali and adjoining villages and, therefore, air strikes and artillery shelling would kill only civilians,” said Qamar Gul, a resident of Mirali.

A handout issued in Peshawar said that the district administration would make school buildings of the Elementary & Secondary Education Department in Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, Karak and Hangu districts available for accommodating IDPs from areas affected by the military operation.

It said headmasters of the schools concerned, along with watchmen and other required staff, would be on duty. School furniture and other belongings would be properly recorded and kept in safe custody.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2014