FATA AND NWFP: WEEKLY INCIDENTS OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 07 ISLAMABAD 001387 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2019 TAGS: MOPS PGOV PINR PK PREL PTER SUBJECT: FATA AND NWFP: WEEKLY INCIDENTS OF TALIBANIZATION, JUNE 12 - JUNE 18 REF: A. PESHAWAR 130 ¶B. PESHAWAR 131 ¶C. ISLAMABAD 1320 Classified By: Lynne Tracy, Principal Officer, U.S. Consulate Peshawar, U.S. Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b) and (d) Introduction - - - - - - - ¶1. (C) The Pakistani government signaled that the long-awaited offensive in the Mehsud areas of South Waziristan was imminent, but limited its action in the area to aerial and artillery bombardment. Meanwhile, its ongoing precursor action in Frontier Region Bannu drew to a close with an agreement with Bakka Khel tribal elders to secure that area, northeast of South Waziristan (ref A). In contrast to the previous week, no spectacular attacks were successfully carried out and claimed by Baitullah Mehsud,s Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) outside of the areas of military operations, but the Peshawar Airport was closed for two days due to a threat against airport operations and unknown parties staged a mass-casualty bombing of a market in Dera Ismail Khan. ¶2. (C) In Malakand Division, military operations slowed as active resistance dwindled to pockets in Swat, Buner, and Lower Dir, and reconstruction and civil administration staffing work continued fitfully (ref C). Bajaur and Mohmand continued to see heavy action as the Pakistani security forces renewed operations there. Responding to last week's attack on NWFP Minister for Prisons Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel, security forces also undertook substantial operations in Darra Adam Khel. Looking longer-range, the NWFP government raised the police budget 48 percent and plans to recruit 6,000 civilians, along with a force of 2,500 ex-military personnel, to support the police in Swat and other tribal areas, according to Peshawar's Inspector General of Police, Malik Naveed Khan. Authorities said they planned to open police recruiting centers in IDP camps. NWFP ) Malakand Division - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (SBU) The following incidents have occurred in the Malakand Division of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP), where the Pakistani government has been conducting combat operations since the last week of April. Malakand Division includes the districts of Malakand, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Chitral, Swat, Shangla, and Buner. June 12, Swat: Militants killed 8 soldiers and injured 24 in the Chaprial area, while security forces claimed to kill 39. June 12, Lower Dir: Militants burned two more government schools, one for boys and the other a girls school, in Maidan. June 12, Shangla: A jirga met the local commander, praised the troops for fighting the terrorists, and extended full support to the army. June 12, Buner: Security forces expanded their control to Karakar Pass check post, linking Buner with Swat. June 13, Swat: Militants killed a soldier in Kabal and injured four others, while troops killed six militants. Militants injured three other soldiers in other areas of Swat. In Mingora, security forces arrested two militants and seized a cache of arms, night vision goggles and other equipment. In Peochar, a jirga contacted a local Army commander and expressed support for the operation. June 13, Buner: Security forces secured the Karakar Pass, linking Buner with Swat. June 14, Swat: Militants burned four homes of a family who supported security forces in Bahrain. Pockets of resistance remained in several areas, but fighting continued to die down (ref C). ISLAMABAD 00001387 002 OF 007 June 14, Lower Dir: Small pockets of resistance reportedly remained in the Adenzai tehsil near Maidan, but curfew had been lifted entirely (ref C). Security forces arrested 12 suspected militants, including eight Afghan nationals. June 15, Swat: The bodies of two guards and the nephew of Awami National Party (ANP) leader Afzal Khan Lala were found in Matta. Security forces secured the Aligrama area and found a huge cache of arms and ammunition. Militants were reportedly fleeing from the Peochar area on mules. June 15, Upper Dir: The lashkar killed five militants and injured six others. June 15, Lower Dir: Militants killed two soldiers and wounded five others in clashes in Maidan; an unknown number of militants were also killed. June 16, Swat: Militants killed one soldier and injured nine others. During a search and destroy operation in Peochar valley, the government claimed to kill 15 militants and arrested 22. June 16, Upper Dir: The laskhar secured four villages and killed 13 militants. June 16, Lower Dir: Security forces claimed to kill 11 militants, including a local commander. The government announced that farmers could grow corn, reversing an earlier decision banning it due to fears militants could hide in the growth. June 17, Swat: Militants injured a soldier in Fatehpur. Security forces continued search operations, destroying two hideouts in Kasuna. In Mingora, two suspected militant bodies were found. In Kalam and Bahrain, elders pledged to army officials to form a defense committee to guard their areas against militants. June 17, Lower Dir: The military carried out search operations in Maidan, killing 20 militants and arresting 15 others. June 17, Upper Dir: Armed villagers killed six militants in Doog Darra. June 18, Swat: Militants wounded five soldiers. Security forces secured areas around Kabal and Kotlai and began clearing Kotlai. Troops killed 12 militants at a bridge in Kabal, six militants in Tatano Banda and 10 in Shamozai. Security forces also arrested five suspects, including a custodian of a madrassa. In Mingora, security forces cleared areas of the town, recovering 15 rifles and arresting five suspected militants. June 18, Shangla: Dozens of militants fled the operation in the district towards Kala Dhaka in neighboring Mansehra District. Local jirgas in Shangla vowed to assist the political administration capture the militants. June 18, Upper Dir: Security forces killed six militants in Nimazgai area. A lashkar continued to attack militants in the Doog Darra area, with no reports of casualties. Security forces came to the aid of the laskhar by deploying artillery guns four kilometers north of Dir town. The laskhar was reportedly slowed by the mines left behind by fleeing Taliban fighters. June 18, Lower Dir: Troops arrested two suspects in Shewa and seized some weapons. Security forces also burned the home of a militant along with his uncle,s home. NWFP ) Hazara Division - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶4. (SBU) The following incidents have occurred in the Hazara Division of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) according to press and consulate contacts. Hazara Division includes the districts of Kohistan, Mansehra, Battagram, Abbottabad, and Haripur. ISLAMABAD 00001387 003 OF 007 June 12, Mansehra: Militants blew up a CD shop in Oghi. June 13, Haripur: A district peace committee agreed on measures to monitor the movement of strangers, particularly Afghan refugees. NWFP ) Mardan Division - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (SBU) The following incidents have occurred in the Mardan Division of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) according to press and consulate contacts. Mardan Division includes the districts of Mardan and Swabi. June 16, Mardan: Militants attacked a police post with hand grenades, killing two constables and injuring four others. NWFP ) Peshawar Division - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (SBU) The following incidents have occurred in the Peshawar Division of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) according to press and consulate contacts. Peshawar Division includes the districts of Peshawar, Nowshera, and Charsadda. June 12, Peshawar: The NWFP government reportedly enhanced security at educational institutions and banned the travel of VIPs through FR Peshawar, FR Kohat, FR Nowshera, FR Bannu, and all other areas of the province where military operations are underway. June 12, Nowshera: A suicide bomber rammed his van loaded with 125 kg of explosives into a mosque near an Army Supply depot inside Nowshera cantonment during Friday prayers, killing ten and injuring over 100. June 13, Charsadda: Police arrested four alleged militants and seized their vehicle. June 13, Peshawar: The police enhanced security for the NWFP Assembly budget session. June 14, Nowshera: Police and Elite Force arrested 15 suspected militants in a joint raid, recovering a huge amount of arms. June 14, Peshawar: A lashkar in Adezai village, 20 kilometers south of the city, bordering Darra Adam Khel, is reportedly gaining confidence in its ongoing attempt to protect the village from attacks. Residents told the press that the lashkar is needed because the police stop patrolling at sunset. June 15, Peshawar: Police arrested several suspects in a door-to-door search operation. June 16, Peshawar: Militants killed a police officer in a grenade attack on Bara Road. June 17, Peshawar: The government closed Peshawar International Airport due to a possible threat against airport operations. The airport was closed until the June ¶19. Elsewhere, police arrested a suspected militant from a mosque in Qissa Khawani Bazaar. June 18, Peshawar: Police killed an armed attacker who stormed a Shi,a mosque in Matani firing his weapon. His companion escaped. NWFP ) Kohat Division - - - - - - - - - - - ¶7. (SBU) The following incidents have occurred in the Kohat Division of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) according to press and consulate contacts. Kohat Division includes the districts of Kohat, Karak, and Hangu. June 12, Hangu: Militants blew up a patrol van, killing three policemen, a soldier, and injuring six others. In a second incident, militants set off a remote controlled IED while another police van passed. The van narrowly escaped ISLAMABAD 00001387 004 OF 007 the blast. June 13, Karak: A peace jirga declared that it would form a lashkar to maintain law and order in the district. June 13, Kohat: An improvised roadside bomb targeting a police vehicle killed a policeman and a civilian. The explosion also wounded five policemen and a civilian. June 14, Kohat: In a crackdown on militants entering the district, police arrested 23 alleged militants. June 17, Kohat: Militants blew up an electricity pylon with three homemade bombs. Police defused the fourth timed device. NWFP ) Bannu Division - - - - - - - - - - - ¶8. (SBU) The following incidents have occurred in the Bannu Division of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) according to press and consulate contacts. Bannu Division includes the districts of Bannu and Lakki Marwat. June 12, Bannu: Police reportedly arrested over 200 persons residing in villages near the border with F.R. Bannu who were not from Bannu district; most of those arrested were from North and South Waziristan and F.R. Bannu but police claimed that Afghan nationals were also present June 12, Lakki Marwat: A doctor from a prominent local family and his servant were kidnapped by unknown armed men. June 14, Lakki Marwat: The district police administration set up a police post and received assurances of support from local elders in Takhtikhel, a militant- and criminal-dominated area bordering FR Bannu. June 15, Lakki Marwat: Residents of a local town formed a lashkar, consisting mostly of youths, to combat crimes in the area. A complete ban on the display of weapons was imposed on the area. June 17, Lakki Marwat: Police arrested two for sheltering criminals in their homes. NWFP ) Dera Ismail Khan Division - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶9. (SBU) The following incidents have occurred in the Dera Ismail Khan Division of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) according to press and consulate contacts. Dera Ismail Khan Division includes the districts of D.I. Khan and Tank. June 14, Dera Ismail Khan: Militants set off a bomb in a market, killing eight and wounding 20 (most victims were Sunni). June 15, Dera Ismail Khan: The District Police Officer (DPO) banned motorcycle driving in the district after a series of motorcycle drive-by shootings. June 17, Dera Ismail Khan: Militants killed the local leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Elsewhere, gunmen, hiding in a rickshaw, killed a medicine dispenser (pharmacist) while he was on the way to the hospital. In a third incident, three staff members of a forest checkpost were attacked with axes and injured. Northern FATA - - - - - - - ¶10. (SBU) The following is a roundup of incidents of talibanization and government and community response in the Bajaur, Mohmand, and Khyber Agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). June 12, Bajaur: Security forces conducted aerial bombardment of suspected militant positions in Charmang tehsil, during which they claimed to have killed seven militants. ISLAMABAD 00001387 005 OF 007 June 12, Mohmand: Militants killed two soldiers. Security forces targeted hideouts in Safi tehsil with gunship helicopters, artillery and tanks, killing 12 militants and destroying dozens of militant homes. June 12, Khyber: Security forces arrested a 15-year-old boy at the Torkham border-crossing point, claiming he was a suicide bomber planning to target a mosque during Friday prayers. June 13, Mohmand: Security forces claimed to kill 24 militants and destroy a number of their houses, along with 12 civilians who died when errant shells hit their homes. June 13, Khyber: The entry of vehicles from Khyber Agency to Peshawar has been restricted and police began more carefully checking traffic. June 14, Bajaur: News reports indicated the military was moving against militants in Salarzai and Nawagai tehsil. Twenty militants were reported killed when Air Force fighters strafed suspected Taliban hideouts (ref C). June 14, Mohmand: The political administration arrested 14 elders of Haleemzai tribes for failing to turn over a suspect. June 15, Mohmand: Security forces claimed to have killed 29 militants, destroyed 20 militant homes, recovered 15 rocket launchers and 20 shells, and defused three bombs. Three security forces personnel were injured. June 15, Bajaur: Security forces claimed to kill eight Taliban, including a militant commander. June 15, Khyber: Eighty percent of the Afghans the political administration thought it had expelled from Khyber have been resettling within the agency. June 16, Bajaur: Security forces shelled militant positions in Charmang; militant casualties were unknown. June 17, Bajaur: Security forces killed four militants and injured several others as they expanded the ongoing operation against the Taliban to other areas in Charmang. June 17, Mohmand: Militants killed one soldier and wounded five during a search operation in Mamu Ghut. In Upper Mohmand, three women were killed and four children wounded when a stray cannon shell hit their home. June 17, Khyber: A local journalists survived a roadside bomb explosion in Jamrud tehsil. June 18, Bajaur: Militants blew up the only government degree college in Mamoond tehsil. Security forces claimed to arrest 22 suspected militants, including foreigners, in Nawagai tehsil. In another search operation in Mamoond tehsil, government troops arrested 16 tribesmen. June 18, Mohmand: The Mohmand Rifles claimed to make advances against militants, but three men were killed and four children injured when mortar shells landed on their homes. June 18, Khyber: Militants blew up a government girls' school in Landikotal. The political administration demolished the house of a militant in Landikotal. Separately, a member of the Sheikhwal tribe was arrested as part of the tribe,s &collective responsibility8 for the previous week,s kidnapping of a doctor in Landikotal. Southern FATA - - - - - - - ¶11. (SBU) The following is a roundup of incidents of talibanization and government and community response in the Orakzai, Kurram, and North and South Waziristan Agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Frontier Regions south of the Khyber Agency: ISLAMABAD 00001387 006 OF 007 June 12, FR Kohat: Security forces encircled a militant area, arrested ten suspects, destroyed two homes, and eliminated weapons manufacturing factories and hideouts in Darra Adam Khel. June 12, FR Bannu: Security forces claimed to kill another 18 militants in Jani Khel and Hindi Khel areas. (ref. B) June 13, FR Bannu: Security forces killed 35 terrorists inQYyOJY:[77Q.rd a Frontier Corps fort in Jani Khel (ref B). June 13, South Waziristan: Four jetfighters, along with artillery shells, destroyed two militant compounds in the Makeen area, including a high school that TTP militants had converted into a post, killing ten. Thousands of families attempted to flee to Tank and Dera Ismail Khan. NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that Swat TTP leader Maulana Fazlullah was now hiding in SWA (ref C). June 13, North Waziristan: Militants led by Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur threatened to scrap their February 2008 peace accord if the government did not halt the military operation in Bakakhel and Janikhel areas of Bannu. June 14, FR Kohat: A local laskhar arrested three accomplices to a TTP commander in Darra Adam Khel. June 14, South Waziristan: NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani announced that the government had ordered a "full-fledged" military operation against Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Chief Baitullah Mehsud and Mehsud tribes in the agency. Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas refused to confirm or deny Ghani,s announcement (ref C). June 15, FR Kohat: Darra taliban beheaded a militant from a rival group and chopped off both of his hands. June 15, FR Bannu: Security forces killed ten militants and cleared Jani Khel area. The forces also shot at a car that did not stop, killing the driver. A peace jirga comprising Bakka Khel elders and Ulema met the District Coordination Officer (DCO) to help prepare a strategy against militants in return for an end to the operation in FR Bannu. June 16, South Waziristan: TTP threatened more suicide attacks on prominent religious leaders. June 16, Kurram: Three people died in clashes between Sunni and Shi'a militias in the village of Balishkhel. June 16, FR Bannu: The Bakka Khel tribe agreed to accept all of the government's conditions for restoring durable peace and establishing the writ of the government. Members of the Marwat Qaumi Jirga vowed to support government forces. June 17, Kurram: Security forces claimed to have uncovered and disarmed seven remote-controlled bombs planted near the central Kurram town of Saddar. June 17, South Waziristan: Army surveillance planes reportedly flew over suspected Taliban strongholds, where major operation was rumored to be ready, while helicopter gunships hit several targets in advance strikes. June 18, FR Kohat: The government launched a military operation in which troops backed by gunships attacked supposed militant hideouts and arrested more than 100 suspects near Darra Adam Khel. Government troops also destroyed two camps and a house used by militants after the owner had died. June 18, FR Tank: Militants fired three missiles into an unoccupied part of Jandola, with no casualties reported. June 18, North Waziristan: Militants attacked a transmission line, disrupting power to the agency. In Miramshah, the Taliban killed two locals, accusing them of "spying" for the U.S. Government and Community Response ISLAMABAD 00001387 007 OF 007 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶12. (SBU) This is a summary of government and community activities undertaken outside of the NWFP and FATA to halt the spread of talibanization within those regions: June 12, Islamabad: President Zardari announced that a cantonment (fortified military area) would be established in Swat. June 18, Islamabad: Religious scholars and leaders, meeting Prime Minister Gilani, extended their full support to the government in its effort to root out extremism and terrorism. PATTERSON