Security forces claim to have cleared Bara from Lashkar-i-Islam

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KHYBER AGENCY, Pakistan -- Though three successive military operations have damaged the structural bases of militant organizations in Bara Tehsil of the Khyber tribal region, local residents say more must be done to cleanse the region of militancy.

Military officials, however, claim that most of the goals of the operation have been achieved. Avoiding direct comments and disclosure of their names, officials replied to written questions from Central Asia Online, saying that “capturing the top leadership of militant organizations has never been our military objective”, but adding that the “objectives which we set have largely been achieved”.

Elaborating, they claimed that “Bara is substantially cleansed of militants, illegal FM radio stations closed, (and the) confidence of the local population restored alongside gradual revival of local peace committees”.

Official claims of achievement of the objectives are evidenced by the disappearance of armed patrols by Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) militants.

A local journalist who monitors the situation told Central Asia Online on condition of anonymity that “LI, the FM radio station, has also halted its transmissions due to effective measures adopted by the security forces”. The LI was using an illegal FM radio station to terrorize opponents, issue self-styled Islamic edicts and broadcast propaganda.

However, one Bara resident, Zarmat Shah, told Central Asia Online that some militant organizations were still collecting donations for “their holy cause” and forcing local youth to secretly join their ranks.

Security forces have imposed 14-hour curfews in most parts of Bara in order to restrict the movement of suspect militants.

Military officials claimed that “with a substantial reduction in the crime rate in Bara and destruction of the houses and bases of militant groups, the confidence of the local population is restored and they have started giving information and support against militants”.

But the clashes between security forces and militants rendered thousands of Bara residents homeless and forced them to relocate to refugee camps near Peshawar.

A journalist observed during a visit to the Jalozai camp, where most of Bara’s IDPs are, that more than half of the families were without tents and other necessities for lack of registration.

Mula Khel, a displaced person from Bara, said his family had to share a small tent with relatives as they had yet been registered after 45 days. “More than 50 percent of the new IDPs are not yet registered”, said Mula Khel adding that most requests had fallen on deaf ears.

Many Bara residents worry that as soon as the military operation ends, militant groups will re-emerge .

Shahid Ali, a concerned Bara resident, said, “More than a dozen government installations and educational institutions have been destroyed since the start of the military operation which shows the strength and boldness of militant groups operating in Bara”.

He said a number of local residents and lower level government officials had either been killed or abducted by militant organizations on suspicion of supporting the military operation.

The influence of the LI on local residents can be gauged from the more than 600 khasadar personnel (informal tribal security force) who resigned when they were threatened by LI chief Mangal Bagh soon after the start of military operations.

The local political administration invited fresh applications for vacant posts, but received a lukewarm response due to fear of the LI.

The most recent military operation started September 1, 2009; the first was launched in June 2008, with a second in December 2008.

The burning and destruction of educational institutions forced the local political administration to close all educational institutions. An intermediate level student, Haroon Afridi, told Central Asia Online that thousands of Bara students missed their mid-term examinations and promotion to new classes as a result.

Bara, just 7 kilometres from Peshawar, shares borders with the Orakzai tribal agency on the southwest and Darra Adamkhel on the southeast. Orakzai and Darra Adamkhel have considerable numbers of TTP elements, but the LI has never publicly aligned itself with the TTP despite similarities in their “purification agendas”.

NWFP officials and political leadership have accused the Lashkar-i-Islam of most kidnappings, targeted killings, bomb blasts and the forceful implementation of a particular brand of Shariah in Peshawar and its suburbs.

The NWFP Minister for Information, Mian Iftekhar Hussain, had, on several occasions, called for a full-scale military operation against militant groups in Bara-Khyber Agency, Darra Adamkhel and Orakzai Agency.

“Peace could only be restored in the restive city of Peshawar if military organizations operating in tribal areas bordering Peshawar are tackled head-on”, he said.

Officials, however, insisted that they have secured the city of Peshawar from militants and were preparing for subsequent operations against militants in Tirah, a remote valley bordering Afghanistan and the Orakzai tribal region. Officials believe many militants fled South Waziristan for Orakzai and the mountainous region of Tirah valley.

“Now with effective preventive steps taken by the government, armed attacks against our vehicles carrying fuel and other supplies to… Afghanistan via Torkhum border had considerably reduced”, acknowledged Shakir Afridi, a trucking firm owner in the tribal area.