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Friday, November 20, 2009

Action against criminals in Karak from today

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Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Kohat range, Abdullah Khan Thursday said the police would launch an operation against anti-social elements in Takht-e-Nusrati tehsil from today (Friday).

Addressing an open ‘katchery’ at Takht-e-Nusrati Police Station, he said that reconciliation committees, comprising non-political people, would be formed at police station level to resolve various public issues. He asked the area elders, who were present on the occasion, to keep an eye on activities of prayer leaders, especially those hailing from Afghanistan.

Abdullah announced provision of two armoured personnel carriers and two other vehicles for Karak police, saying that the provincial government had approved creation of 5,000 vacancies in the Police Department and Karak district would be given enough share in the vacancies to resolve the problem of police shortage. He added that more police checkpoints would be set up in the district

VC kidnapping case: Too hot for civilians to handle

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Authorities have handed over the case of kidnapping of the vice-chancellor of the Kohat University of Science and Technology to the military due to its sensitive nature, sources said.

The military has blamed Taliban commander Tariq Afridi for kidnapping vice-chancellor Dr Lutfullah Kakakhel.

According to the military authorities controlling Darra Adamkhel from where the vice-chancellor was kidnapped, the victim was first taken to Matani and then shifted to the Ghiljo area in upper Orakzai Agency.

“We are not 100 per cent sure as yet about his whereabouts, but are investigating the case from all angles to ascertain the real cause behind the kidnapping of the VC, whose director administration and driver were not taken away by the armed men. If the purpose of kidnapping was to put pressure on the government for release of the arrested militants or ransom, the director, who was accompanying the VC at the time of the incident, would also have been kidnapped. But surprisingly, only the VC was taken away along with the official vehicle,” military sources said.

Police sources, however, claim the vice-chancellor is in the custody of a criminal gang belonging to the Matani area of Peshawar. They, too, are surprised why only the vice-chancellor was kidnapped.

So far, the vice-chancellor’s family or law-enforcement agencies have not been contacted by the kidnappers.

The vice-chancellor was kidnapped on Nov 6 from the Akhorwal area of Darra Adamkhel while he was going to Peshawar from Kohat.

Meanwhile, teachers and students of the Kohat University of Science and Technology on Thursday called upon the government to expedite efforts for safe recovery of the vice-chancellor, APP reports.

Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, they warned of launching a province-wide movement if the vice-chancellor was not safely recovered.

Fake NIC printer arrested from Darra Adamkhel

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The political administration of Frontier Region of Kohat on Thursday arrested a tribesman involved in printing of fake computerised national identity cards for militants from Darra Adamkhel.

DCO Kifayatullah Khan, who is also political agent of FR Kohat, told Dawn that acting on a tip-off the assistant political agent raided a shop in the Darra Adamkhel bazaar and arrested Manzoor, son of Tor Gul, along with machines used in making fake identity cards.

According to him, the accused helped militants by providing them with fake CNICs so they could freely travel in the country and carry out terrorist activities.

Two militants killed in Hangu

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Two militants were killed in an exchange of fire with police in the Bezoo Kot area of Thall tehsil, Hangu district, on Thursday.

Police constable Khurshid Alam was also injured in the shootout following a raid on a house in the area.

The bodies of killed militants, Amjid and Yar Khan, were taken to a local hospital.

Meanwhile, the Kohat police arrested four militants and 21 criminals during a search operation on Thursday. They also seized four Kalashnikovs, three repeaters, five shotguns, four rifles and seven pistols.

The arrested persons were handed over to a special investigation team

Monday, November 16, 2009

Taliban position bombed in Orakzai Agency

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At least 24 militants were killed as jets bombed Taliban positions in the tribal region of Orakzai and troops maintained pressure on terrorists in South Waziristan and Swat on Sunday.

At least seven militants were killed and six camps of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and a seminary were destroyed in Orakzai Agency.

The jets also pounded the headquarters of TTP chief Hakeemullah Mehsud in Ghiljo bazaar in Upper Orakzai. According to local people, the bazaar was closed as militants surrounded their hideouts and carried out rescue work.

Militants’ positions and hideouts in Dabori and Mamozai areas of Lower Orakzai also came under heavy bombardment.

A large seminary was razed in Dabori. The number of casualties could not be ascertained.

A man and his son were arrested near the toll plaza on the Indus Highway for trying to smuggle arms and ammunition from Darra Adam Khel to Karachi. Two Kalashnikovs, six pistols, two shotguns, a repeater, 28 chargers and 1,345 cartridges were found in their car.

Taliban position bombed in Orakzai Agency

posted in dawn


At least 24 militants were killed as jets bombed Taliban positions in the tribal region of Orakzai and troops maintained pressure on terrorists in South Waziristan and Swat on Sunday.

At least seven militants were killed and six camps of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and a seminary were destroyed in Orakzai Agency.

The jets also pounded the headquarters of TTP chief Hakeemullah Mehsud in Ghiljo bazaar in Upper Orakzai. According to local people, the bazaar was closed as militants surrounded their hideouts and carried out rescue work.

Militants’ positions and hideouts in Dabori and Mamozai areas of Lower Orakzai also came under heavy bombardment.

A large seminary was razed in Dabori. The number of casualties could not be ascertained.

A man and his son were arrested near the toll plaza on the Indus Highway for trying to smuggle arms and ammunition from Darra Adam Khel to Karachi. Two Kalashnikovs, six pistols, two shotguns, a repeater, 28 chargers and 1,345 cartridges were found in their car.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Terrorist killed in Hangu

posted in daily times


Security forces killed a terrorist and injured one of his accomplices during a gunfight in the Wach Bazaar area of Hangu, a district administration official said on Thursday.

The official said some terrorists hurled hand grenades at a house owned by Salamat. The security forces opened fire on the terrorists while they were fleeing, killing one of them and wounding another. The attackers managed to escape along with the dead body and their injured accomplice. The residents of the house remained unhurt.

In another incident, an injured victim of a bomb blast succumbed to his injuries at a hospital. Two daughters and a son of Nameer, a resident of Gul Bagh, Hangu, were wounded in an explosion in their house on Wednesday night.

The injured girls are being treated at the District Headquarters Hospital, Kohat, where their condition is stated to be critical.

Oil & gas sector top priority: Hoti

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NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti has said that the democratically elected government gives highest priority to oil and gas sector and is committed to accelerating exploration and production activities with a view to achieve maximum self-sufficiency in energy sector. Inaugurating the operations at Central Processing Facility Tal Block at Manzalai Thursday, he said the ‘Tal Block’ has estimated gas reserves of 2.56 trillion cubic feet and oil reserves 58.6 million barrels, which has an estimated life of about 178 years for oil and 117 years for natural gas. He said sale of natural gas to Sui Northern Gas Pipeline from the Manzalai Tal Block has already being commenced at a rate of 120 million cubic feet per day during the initial phase.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

deadline from KUST faculty

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The faculty members and students of Kohat University of Science and Technology set a three-day deadline to the government for the recovery of the kidnapped vice-chancellor here on Saturday. The staff and the students staged a protest on the premises of KUST and strongly criticised government for its failure to provide security to the life and property of people.

Kidnapping of VC: 15 elders held

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The political administration of Darra Adamkhel arrested 15 tribal elders and impounded four vehicles of Akhorwal tribe under Frontier Crimes Regulations in connection with the kidnapping of vice-chancellor of Kohat University on Saturday.

The Khasadars arrested 15 tribesmen and impounded their four vehicles. The tribal elders were shifted to Spina Thana along with seized vehicles by the security forces.

The vice-chancellor of Kohat University of Science and Technology, Dr Lutfullah Kakakhel, was kidnapped by militants in Darra Adamkhel while on his way to Peshawar from Kohat on Friday night.

The assistant political agent of Frontier Region of Kohat, Kifayatullah Khan, asked the Akhorwal tribe to recover the kidnapped vice-chancellor, who was kidnapped from their soil or action would continue against them. They were warned if they failed to get the educationist released from Taliban their all 72 elders would be put behind the bars and their businesses would also be closed.

Meanwhile, the political administration ordered all the Khasadars to report to their duty in Darra Adamkhel immediately. It is important to mention here that the political administration had stopped Khasadars from performing their duties owing to growing activities of Taliban last year.

Sources said that the vice-chancellor might have been shifted to Khyber Agency or Orakzai Agency by Taliban through unfrequented routes which they used for carrying out terrorists acts in Darra Adamkhel.

4 militants, 3 troops killed in gunbattle

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Four militants and three security personnel were killed in an exchange of fire in Tora Warai area of Hangu district late on Friday night.

Official sources said that militants attacked a check-post near the Tora Warai Fort in Hangu district on Friday night for a second time in the last few days in which three security personnel were killed. Troops returned fire with artillery. The exchange of fire continued for several hours before militants fled, leaving behind four bodies of their accomplices. The bodies were found by troops on Saturday.

Militants had attacked the same check-post a few days ago and four of them were killed by troops in retaliatory fire.

Over a dozen militants were arrested in a crackdown launched by security forces in the Ahmadi Shama area of Lower Kurram on Saturday.

Officials said that security personnel carried out a house-to-house search in the area. Officials said that those arrested were being interrogated. A drone hit a suspected compound in the same area early this year killing over 30 people.

The administration has imposed a curfew in Sadda, the tehsil headquarters of Lower Kurram, while border with Afghanistan was closed for three days on Friday. Meanwhile, troops wrested control of two important positions from militants in Charkhel area.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Militants kidnap VC of Kohat varsity

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Suspected militants kidnapped the vice chancellor of the Kohat University of Science and Technology from Akhorwal area of Darra Adam Khel on Friday evening.

Prof Dr Lutfullah Kakakhel was going to Peshawar when armed men stopped his car near Akhorwal area.

The kidnappers took hold of the car and forced Mr Kakakhel to go with them, leaving behind driver Raj Wali and the VC’s companion Nadir Sarfraz.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Report on bombers

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The district administration Wednesday forwarded an initial investigation report about the killing of two would-be suicide bombers in Lachi subdivision on Tuesday.

An investigation team headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Mushtaq Hussain and Inspector Nizam Shah was constituted to probe the incident. District Police Officer Delawar Khan Bangash and his team inspected the spot and recovered the head and body parts of the suicide bomber. The mutilated body of the accomplice of the suicide bomber was also found.

The report said a bike was recovered 500 metres away from the site, which was camouflaged by unidentified men. The police also recovered a mobile phone, SIM and memory card from the scene. Reports suggested that the would-be bomber was sitting on the bike when the suicide vest exploded, killing both on the spot.

militants, woman killed in Kurram

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Four militants were killed when security forces exchanged fire with them after attack on a checkpost at Hangu-Parachinar border in the tribal area on Tuesday night.

A woman was also killed and three others were injured when an artillery shell fell at a house in Spim Wam during exchange of fire.

Official sources told Dawn that militants fired three rockets at the security checkpost in Spin Wam area of Kurram Agency which was followed by heavy machinegun fire on Tuesday night. Forces retaliated with artillery shelling and ground troops chased the militants. Security forces claimed that four militants were killed in the shootout.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Bullet-riddled body found

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Bullet-riddled body of a man who was kidnapped last month was found in the Nasratkhel area on Tuesday. Fayyaz, brother of the deceased, told the Cantonment police that Hashim, Riaz, Arsal and Sajawal allegedly kidnapped his brother, Nawaz Khan, on October 17. The accused killed his brother and dumped his body in the Nasratkhel hills. Acting on the complaint, the police party rushed to the hilly area and took the body into custody that was shifted to District Headquarters Hospital for autopsy.

Would-be bomber killed in blast

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A would-be suicide bomber was killed before reaching his target in Lachi sub-division on Tuesday evening. Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Abdullah Khan told The News that a would-be suicide bomber, riding a motorcycle, was heading to his alleged target when he was blown up in a nullah near Iftikhar Well area in Lachi at 9:15 p.m. It wasn’t clear as to where the motorcyclist was heading and his possible target. After the blast, the security forces and police along with the bomb disposal squad rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area. The bomb disposal squad collected pieces of evidence including body parts of the slain bomber.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Village razed to the ground in Hangu

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Militants razed a whole village to the ground in Shahu Khel area by conducting a series of blasts on the third consecutive night in Hangu district on Saturday.

The village had roughly 100 houses and families belonging to a rival sect had been migrating after the Taliban started target killings and kidnappings a few months ago.

The TTP is in complete control of Shahu Khel and its militants started blowing up houses after security forces and police started operations against them and eliminated some of their important training camps and hideouts. They had planted 40 bombs and blown up as many houses on Saturday night. Earlier, they had destroyed two schools, an Imambargah, two houses and a basic health unit on Friday night.

Blasts continued since Saturday night and by Sunday the entire village was razed to the ground. No casualties were reported from the area as the entire village was empty after the migration of the entire population to safer places.

Leaders of the Qaumi Wahdat Council have been urging the government to improve its writ in Shahu Khel so that the people displaced by the Taliban could return to their village.

Security forces have often used artillery fire to stop the Taliban from blowing up houses, but with little success.

It is the same area where a renowned cleric and office-bearer of JUI-F, Maulana Muhammad Amin, was killed in an air strike in his Jamia Yousufia seminary in June last year.

At least 13 people, including children, eight women and prominent religious leaders, were killed and several injured in shelling by helicopter gunships in Hangu. Maulana Muhammad Amin, whose 12-year-old nephew was also killed in the air strike, was also the deputy chairman of Sunni Supreme Council. During shelling at another seminary in Shahu Khel, three women were killed when a house was hit by helicopter gunships.