LANDI KOTAL: Security forces unearthed tunnels, caves and improvised explosive device-manufacturing factories during a search operation in the Nangrosa-Lagad area of Barra Bara in Tirah valley on Thursday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement that a huge quantity of arms and ammunition had been recovered from four caves and explosives-manufacturing factories in the forested and mountainous region of Nangrosa which had remained a stronghold of banned militant organisation Lashkar-i-Islam from 2005 to 2012.

The area was previously under the control of LI tribesmen and is located close to Naree Baba, another stronghold of the LI during the same period.

Huge quantity of weapons found during search operation in Khyber Agency

Sources in Bara said that both the caves and tunnels had been used as private jails and for stockpiling of arms and ammunition.

The same facilities were also used by the LI chief and his accomplices as a hideout during air strikes carried out by Pakistan Air Force during military operations.

The area was cleared by security forces after conducting both ground and air operations against terror suspects from 2012 to 2014. Mangal Bagh and his armed accomplices first fled to Rajgal and surrounding areas and later went across the border in Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2017