KHAR, Nov 3: A grand jirga of Salarzai tribe announced on Monday it would launch a major action against militants and criminals in Bajaur Agency on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, 13 militants were killed when helicopter gunships pounded their hideouts and security personnel carried out a search operation in Mamond tehsil.

About 800 elders of all the four Salarzai clans attended a jirga in Khar.

Addressed by Malak Fazal Karim, Malak Munasib Khan, Malak Abdul Salam, Malak Mohammad Younus, Hafizur Rehman, Malak Abul Nasir and Malak Mohammad Akber, the jirga backed the government’s move to quell militancy and establish the state’s writ in Bajaur.

It decided to intensify action against militants and criminals through a tribal lashkar to clear their area of ‘miscreants’ and restore normalcy.

It decided that the lashkar would also take strong action against people harbouring ‘miscreants’ and criminals, fine them Rs2 million each, torch their houses, confiscate their property and expel their families from the region.

Bajaur Political Agent Safirullah praised the tribe’s decision to take on militants. He said the tribe had cleared most of its area of ‘miscreants’ over the past two months. He said that bold and timely action by the Salarzai tribe had forced anti-Pakistan elements to leave the area. As a result, peace had returned to the region, he added.

He said a handful of miscreants were still engaged in anti-state activities and all of them would have to be eliminated before resumption of work on development projects in the region.

He said presence of militants was not only a challenge for the government but also a constant threat to security and peace in the tribal region.

The official said the tribesmen should act decisively against militants, otherwise the government would have no other option but to again launch an operation.

Meanwhile, helicopters pounded militants’ positions in Shinkot, Mataroshah, Sparay and Damadola areas of Mamond and a search operation continued in the region, sources said.

According to the sources, security forces had acted on information that some militants were hiding in different parts of Mamond and Nawagai areas.