PESHAWAR: When loaded military trucks rumbled up the zigzag road to Upper Dir and Chitral, it marked the first major deployment of troops in these districts in the seven-year-long war against militants in Pakistan.
It appears that a significant number of troops are being deployed in the two districts that have largely remained peaceful in Malakand division, a mountainous region controlled and destroyed by Taliban militants over the last few years.
The deployment in Upper Dir and Chitral was precipitated by the deadly attacks staged by Afghanistan-based Pakistani militants. They have mounted cross-border attacks on border villages and posts in recent months killing several dozen security personnel and civilians.
The latest attacks were carried out in Arandu in Chitral in late August that killed 32 security personnel. Several posts were also destroyed in the attack. The troops are being deployed on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border that snakes along Upper Dir and Chitral districts to ward off cross-border attacks, officials and locals said.
Residents of Upper Dir reported that troops had taken positions on far-off mountain peaks near the border. The soldiers are heavily armed and well equipped. A district administration official said the soldiers were being sent to the border region. “They are busy building their positions in the border villages though a couple of police posts continue to exist in villages near the border,” he added.
People in Upper Dir and Chitral have expressed some reservations over the troops deployment. In Dir, they feared, it would provide militants targets for attacks and cause deterioration in law and order situation.
Residents of Upper Dir said they were surprised by the huge influx of troops in their district, which, they argue, had no known pockets of militants. People said they supported the deployment on the Durand Line border but opposed presence of security forces in towns and villages away from the border.
“Army spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas in a statement yesterday said the troops were sent to guard the international border and not for conducting operations in the populated areas,” said Sahibzada Tariqullah, former district nazim of Upper Dir. “If that’s the intention, it’s good and we hail it,” he added.
Some reservations were also voiced by people in Chitral. “People say they don’t oppose deployment on the border but fear the military might launch action in ordinary places and search houses in areas located away from the border,” a journalist in Chitral said.
Former tehsil nazim of Chitral Sartaj Ahmad Khan said the Chitral Scouts was capable of handling the situation if properly equipped. He argued that the Chitral Scouts conducted operations in Bajaur and Swat and could do the same in Chitral. “We don’t oppose army deployment but we think it’s unnecessary,” he said.
An official source dispelled the impression that the military might launch action among the population living in towns or villages sitting away from the border. “They are being deployed on the border to prevent cross-border attacks. They will carry out activities together with the Frontier Corps and augment their positions,” he said.
The border along these districts has remained undefended for decades. Only recently, a few border posts were established that were manned by the policemen and Levies personnel. Manning of the post by the Levies personnel and the police officials, not trained for border security, drew flak from people and local political leaders when militants mowed them down in June, July and August.
They had demanded deployment of regular forces on the border. Though the strength of troops sent to the two districts remained unknown, an official said the appointment of a general officer commanding (GOC), a major general rank officer, was being considered for Dir and Chitral districts. “No, no. It’s untrue,” another official source strongly contradicted it.
Retaken in the 2009 military operations, Swat, Buner, Lower Dir and Shangla were the districts infested by militants who operated under the command of the now fugitive Maulana Fazlullah. The militant leader and his supporters fled to Afghanistan and built a terror network in Kunar and Nuristan provinces.
The fresh deployment on the border is against the Fazlullah-led militants. They cross over from Afghanistan, launch attacks and go back to their sanctuaries. The Pakistan government has several times taken up the issue of growing deadly attacks from across the border with Kabul and asked it to take action against the militants, but to no effect so far. Some analysts believe the militants have support from the US, Nato and Afghan forces.
It appears that a significant number of troops are being deployed in the two districts that have largely remained peaceful in Malakand division, a mountainous region controlled and destroyed by Taliban militants over the last few years.
The deployment in Upper Dir and Chitral was precipitated by the deadly attacks staged by Afghanistan-based Pakistani militants. They have mounted cross-border attacks on border villages and posts in recent months killing several dozen security personnel and civilians.
The latest attacks were carried out in Arandu in Chitral in late August that killed 32 security personnel. Several posts were also destroyed in the attack. The troops are being deployed on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border that snakes along Upper Dir and Chitral districts to ward off cross-border attacks, officials and locals said.
Residents of Upper Dir reported that troops had taken positions on far-off mountain peaks near the border. The soldiers are heavily armed and well equipped. A district administration official said the soldiers were being sent to the border region. “They are busy building their positions in the border villages though a couple of police posts continue to exist in villages near the border,” he added.
People in Upper Dir and Chitral have expressed some reservations over the troops deployment. In Dir, they feared, it would provide militants targets for attacks and cause deterioration in law and order situation.
Residents of Upper Dir said they were surprised by the huge influx of troops in their district, which, they argue, had no known pockets of militants. People said they supported the deployment on the Durand Line border but opposed presence of security forces in towns and villages away from the border.
“Army spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas in a statement yesterday said the troops were sent to guard the international border and not for conducting operations in the populated areas,” said Sahibzada Tariqullah, former district nazim of Upper Dir. “If that’s the intention, it’s good and we hail it,” he added.
Some reservations were also voiced by people in Chitral. “People say they don’t oppose deployment on the border but fear the military might launch action in ordinary places and search houses in areas located away from the border,” a journalist in Chitral said.
Former tehsil nazim of Chitral Sartaj Ahmad Khan said the Chitral Scouts was capable of handling the situation if properly equipped. He argued that the Chitral Scouts conducted operations in Bajaur and Swat and could do the same in Chitral. “We don’t oppose army deployment but we think it’s unnecessary,” he said.
An official source dispelled the impression that the military might launch action among the population living in towns or villages sitting away from the border. “They are being deployed on the border to prevent cross-border attacks. They will carry out activities together with the Frontier Corps and augment their positions,” he said.
The border along these districts has remained undefended for decades. Only recently, a few border posts were established that were manned by the policemen and Levies personnel. Manning of the post by the Levies personnel and the police officials, not trained for border security, drew flak from people and local political leaders when militants mowed them down in June, July and August.
They had demanded deployment of regular forces on the border. Though the strength of troops sent to the two districts remained unknown, an official said the appointment of a general officer commanding (GOC), a major general rank officer, was being considered for Dir and Chitral districts. “No, no. It’s untrue,” another official source strongly contradicted it.
Retaken in the 2009 military operations, Swat, Buner, Lower Dir and Shangla were the districts infested by militants who operated under the command of the now fugitive Maulana Fazlullah. The militant leader and his supporters fled to Afghanistan and built a terror network in Kunar and Nuristan provinces.
The fresh deployment on the border is against the Fazlullah-led militants. They cross over from Afghanistan, launch attacks and go back to their sanctuaries. The Pakistan government has several times taken up the issue of growing deadly attacks from across the border with Kabul and asked it to take action against the militants, but to no effect so far. Some analysts believe the militants have support from the US, Nato and Afghan forces.
No comments:
Post a Comment