BUNER: A major humanitarian crisis is looming over the violence-wracked Buner district, with no relaxation of curfew for the fourth day on Friday and people running short of essential supplies.

Indiscriminate shelling by helicopters and artillery from Rustam village in Mardan left eight civilians dead and six others injured. Around 100 patients and their attendants stranded in the district headquarters hospital in Daggar were facing shortage of food and medicines.

‘Three bodies have been lying in the hospital for three days. They have not been buried because of the curfew and lack of ambulance service,’ sources said.

They said two ambulances had been taken away by militants and two others were stranded in Mardan because of closure of roads. Another ambulance parked in the hospital was out of fuel because militants had taken away petrol and diesel from filling stations.

Militants who were holding positions despite heavy shelling blew up a police post in Bagra and took away the doors and windows of the Pir Baba police station.

Militants roamed on pick-up trucks and an armoured personnel carrier captured from a camp of paramilitary forces in Jawar.

According to locals, militants had set up checkpoints at several places. They took shelter under trees and in houses when helicopters attacked them. 

Militants had occupied houses in Sultanwas, Pir Baba and other areas. Two children and three women were killed when helicopters attacked a car carrying a displaced family in Ambela, witnesses said.

Three non-combatants were killed in an air strike in Gagara. Displacement of people towards Mardan and Swabi continued at a large scale.

According to sources, security forces were facing stiff resistance from militants in Ambela town. 

Meanwhile, Frontier Corps Inspector General Maj-Gen Tariq Khan visited Buner, met commanders and troops engaged in the operation and attended a briefing, the ISPR said.