Tirah Valley tribes cobble up peace force
A joint tribal peace force locally known as Aman Lashker has been established in the Tirah Valley of Khyber tribal district, comprising members from the Zakhakhel, Malik Deen Khel, and Shalobar clans, according to an official statement.
The declaration urges local residents to actively support the administration in combating terrorism and emphasizes that facilitation or support of terrorists will not be tolerated.
Citizens are also advised to keep their children away from extremist elements and refrain from providing shelter or food to terrorists.
The initiative reflects a growing resolve among local communities to restore peace and resist militant influence in the region.
It may be recalled that on May 23, three young men were abducted and brutally executed by suspected terrorists on charges of espionage in the volatile Tirah Valley.
The victims – identified as Ibrahim, son of Masoor, Samad, son of Piyo Khan, and Naveed, son of Sher Ghulam – belonged to the local Malik Din Khel tribe.
The three were abducted by suspected terrorists on Thursday, according to sources. Their bodies were found dumped in an open field early Friday morning. They were apparently shot execution style.
The bodies were found by local tribesmen.
The grisly discovery whipped up fear and panic among local tribesmen who called on the government and security forces to take immediate action and restore law and order in the scenic Tirah Valley, where the Mangal Bagh-led banned Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI) terrorist group once held sway.
Bagh, along with his loyalists, had fled to the Afghan province of Nangarhar, which borders Tirah Valley, in 2010 after a series of military operations and growing resentment among local population against his vigilantism.
Bagh's LeI has since established a symbiotic relationship with other terrorist groups sheltering in Afghanistan to carry out hit-an-run attacks in Pakistan.
Last week, the military claimed that 22 terrorists were killed and 18 others injured in a series of intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Tirah valley during the past month.
The raids were carried out following an uptick in terrorist violence targeting civilians and security personnel in the area.
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