SWABI/GHALANAI: At least 10 suspected militants were killed in a clash with security personnel in a village near Swabi while an attack on a post on the Afghan border in the Mohmand tribal region was repulsed on Wednesday.

According to Swabi district police chief Muhammad Sohaib, the encounter took place in Baja village near Pehur High Level Canal (PHLC) after militants confronted security personnel during a search operation.

Initial reports had indicated that 10 bodies had been found in the village, 12km from Swabi, and were brought to the Bacha Khan Hospital Complex, Shahmansoor.

Another attack on Gora Pari Top border post repulsed

They were handed over after postmortem to the police who, along with municipal staff, buried them in a local graveyard.

A clash that took place on Tuesday during an intelligence-based operation in the militancy-hit Malikabad mountainous area of Gadoon Amazai had claimed the lives of an army captain and a soldier besides leaving five militants dead.

Meanwhile, a Frontier Corps spokesman told Dawn that dozens of militants attacked the Gora Pari Top checkpost on the Afghan border in the Biazai area of Mohmand Agency at about 2am with heavy weapons.

Troops repulsed the attack after an hour-long crossfire and the attackers escaped.

Militants had also attacked the Gora Pari Top and two other border posts on Monday night. At least five security personnel had lost their lives in the fighting. Fifteen militants were also killed.

The security forces have set up several posts to prevent militant infiltration from across the border.

Displaced families

At least 15 families displaced because of the security situation in Mohmand were shifted to a camp in the border area of Bahi Daag. “More than 80 people of 15 families from Haleemzai, Safi and Pandaili tehsils, including women and children, have fled their homes and are residing in the Bahi Daag camp set up for temporarily displaced people,” an official said.

He said the number of people arriving at the camp was expected to rise to 1,200.

It was set up urgently by the local administration with 52 tents, toilets and other facilities.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2017