LANDI KOTAL: Militants in Akkakhel area of Bara on Sunday torched at least 12 houses of those people, who had surrendered to security forces after the launch of military operation in parts of Khyber Agency, sources said.

They said that members of banned militant group Lashkar-i-Islam put those houses on fire in Akkakhel area.

The house of Lal Ghani, a former commander of Lashkar-i-islam, was also torched by the militants, they added.

Sources said that Lal Ghani along with about his 20 supporters surrendered to the security forces a day before the start of military operation codenamed Khyber-1.

It was also learnt that security forces took control of three important bases of Lashkar-i-Islam in Maroofkhel and Sherkhel areas in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency after heavy artillery shelling on the positions of the banned militant outfit.

Security forces take control of three basesof Lashkar-i-Islam after heavy shelling

Meanwhile, helicopter gunships on Sunday morning dropped pamphlets in Akkakhel, Malikdinkhel, Sipah, Kamarkhel and Shalobar areas of Bara, asking all militants to lay down their arms and surrender voluntarily to the security forces within the next 36 hours.

The pamphlet contains at least three telephone numbers through which militants can contact security forces to show their willingness to surrender. The militants can also approach the local elders to convey their willingness to surrender to security forces.

“The government provided a number of opportunities to Bara-based militant groups to accept the government writ and stop their atrocities against the innocent people of Bara but their barbarism crossed all limits and the government was left with no other option but to launch a decisive military operation against all militant out fits,” the pamphlet said.

It said that the government decided to free the people of Tirah and Bara from the oppressive and illegal influence of all militant groups and chase terrorists in every part of Bara and Tirah till they were completely wiped out of the region. 

The pamphlet said that the military operation would continue till complete restoration of writ of the government in all parts of Bara and an end to the parallel administration established by certain unlawful militant groups.

“It is imperative upon all the patriotic people of Bara to cooperate with the security forces and refrain from providing them (militants) any protection. Stern action will be taken against all those, who are found assisting or harbouring terrorists,” the pamphlet said.

Meanwhile, one person was killed and a woman was critically injured when a pickup fell into a deep ravine in Orakzai Agency on Sunday.

Sources said that Farooq Khan, the deceased, along with his family was on his way to Peshawar after fleeing his home in Akkakhel for fear of military operation when the vehicle plunged into the ravine.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2014