Parents’ plea fails to move Baitullah

ISLAMABAD: The army accused the militants on Tuesday of slaughtering 18 of their own wounded men they could not take along with them while retreating from an area in Swat.

‘We have received information that during the clearance of Biha valley, 18 wounded terrorists who could not be taken to safety were slaughtered by their own men on the orders of their commanders,’ the ISPR said.

It said that parents of boys, who had been forcibly taken away by the Baitullah Mehsud group for suicide training in South Waziristan, had demanded release of their sons. Baitullah is reported to have refused to free them.

TWO-PRONGED ATTACK

Security forces launched an operation from two sides to secure Shah Dheri in Swat.

Troops secured Samai Killile, Bhoka, Dande and Yakh Tangai Sar areas. Three soldiers laid down their lives and eight, including an officer, suffered injuries during the operation.

Security forces began clearance and search operation around Rahatkot and Jukhtai, southeast of

Fatehpur, and recovered an explosives-laden vehicle from the house of one Dua Khan and destroyed a double-cabin vehicle.

Eight militants were killed during an exchange of fire with troops. Another eight terrorists were killed in Matta and Wanai areas. Two suspected militants were captured in Balasur and one in Sambat.

In Dir, armed villagers of a tribal lashkar blew up 15 hideouts of militants. They also killed two terrorists and apprehended 20 others.

Two policemen and two civilians were injured in Buner when an explosive device exploded near a traffic police post in Swari Bazaar.

The ISPR said that eight to 10 people impersonating army officials had on June 18 searched belongings of displaced persons at the Fazal Kallay camp, in Mardan, and took away gold ornaments and other valuables.

In another incident at the Garhi Gohati camp in Swabi, unidentified people had checked cards of the IDPs on June 23. Sixteen trucks carrying food and relief items have been despatched to Bannu for IDPs.

Electricity, gas and communication services have been restored in Besham, Darmal, Shung and Darmang in Shangla district. Most of the IDPs from Buner have returned to their villages.