Pakistani troops on Sunday stepped up the crackdown on militants in a tribal region near Peshawar as the restive Swat valley bordering Afghanistan witnessed fresh violence that killed four people, including two soldiers who died in a bomb blast.
About 5,000 paramilitary Frontier Corps troops backed by artillery and helicopter gunships launched a drive against militants in Bara area of Khyber Agency on Saturday, in the wake of clashes between rival militant groups that had left 56 people dead. More forces were sent to Bara on Sunday to patrol the region, where an indefinite curfew has been imposed.
The troops have destroyed eight militant bases in the Khyber Agency, including the headquarters of the Lashkar-e-Islam, the dominant rebel group in the tribal region. The group's leader Mangal Bagh and his aides have reportedly fled to the remote Tirah Valley.
In the troubled Swat district of the North West Frontier Province, two soldiers were killed when their patrol was targeted with a remote-controlled bomb in Matta area. Two more persons were killed in the same area by unknown gunmen who entered their house and shot them dead, TV channels reported.
Ten officials of the NWFP water department were kidnapped by militants in Hangu district on Saturday. Reports said the officials were kidnapped by militants from Doaba, a stronghold of the Taliban.
The Doaba area is controlled by Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud's deputy Mullah Hakeem.
Following the launch of the operation in Khyber Agency, Meshud said he was suspending all peace talks with the government. Meshud accused the government of going back on its commitment not to use force against the Taliban.
There was confusion about the status of a peace agreement signed by the NWFP government and Taliban in Swat. Local Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said the deal was still intact but a final decision would be taken after consulting Mehsud.
Security was tightened across Pakistan, including the cities of Peshawar and Islamabad, following the launch of the operation in Khyber Agency to prevent any backlash.
As local residents began migrating from the Bara area to Peshawar and other places, Frontier Constabulary personnel checked all vehicles entering the NWFP provincial capital on three key arterial roads.
Authorities in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas are also trying to organise the Afridi tribesmen in Khyber Agency to oppose the Lashkar-e-Islam, whose members had been trying to enforce Taliban-style rule in the area.
The Lashkar-e-Islam has attacked music and barber shops and executed persons accused of adultery.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has warned that stern action will be taken against anyone disrupting peace in Pakistan's northwestern areas. While the federal government supports peace deals signed by the NWFP authorities with militants, no one will be allowed to challenge the government's writ, he said.
Gilani has also blamed foreign elements for fomenting unrest in NWFP and tribal areas. The crackdown in Khyber Agency was launched after Gilani and President Pervez Musharraf approved the use of force against militants.
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