KHAR: There was widespread jubilation in Bajaur as security forces announced on Tuesday that they were suspending military operation against militants in the agency for four days in response to a ceasefire announced by Taliban.

Political Agent Shafeerullah Khan told journalists that troops would hold fire and would not take any action for four days.

He, however, clarified that the military operation had not been stopped.

He denied that the government had reached any secret deal with the militants. The troops would retaliate if the truce was violated, he warned.

According to sources, tribal elders had been holding negotiations with the administration and militants to pave way for a comprehensive peace agreement in the region where ‘Operation Sherdil’ was launched in August last year.

The operation has left over 2,000 people dead. Over 2,000 houses have been destroyed and more than 200,000 people have been displaced.

Tribesmen fired in the air and distributed sweets after militant leader Maulana Faqir Mohammad announced the ceasefire on his FM radio channel on Monday night. The maulana, who was leading the insurgency in Bajaur, is the deputy chief of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The sources said tribal elders would continue to negotiate for a permanent ceasefire.

Militants announced a unilateral ceasefire after security personnel entered their strongholds, including Inayet Kali.

According to the sources, the militants left their positions in Inayet Kali, Baichena, Badisamore and other areas and moved to other places before dawn.

Local Taliban leaders, including Faqir Mohammad, are reported to have gone into hiding.

Although no information about a reported accord between the two sides has been made public, the sources said that neither side would set up any new post, people affected by the operation would be compensated and employees who had been removed from service under the territorial and collective responsibility clauses of the Frontier Crimes Regulation would be reinstated.

Maulana Faqir said in his radio announcement that the Taliban considered soldiers like their ‘brothers’ and wanted to stand united against the enemy.

He also announced amnesty for tribal elders who had raised lashkars against Taliban.

He said that his men would not block movement of security personnel who could go wherever they liked to.

He said that the Taliban were withdrawing their threat of destroying schools and government installations and his followers would take action against anyone who would attack a government building.