Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09PESHAWAR106
2009-05-22 11:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Peshawar
Cable title:  

FATA AND NWFP: WEEKLY INCIDENTS OF TALIBANIZATION, APRIL 25

Tags:  PTER MOPS PGOV PK 
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RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 5041
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 PESHAWAR 000106 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/22/2019
TAGS: PTER MOPS PGOV PK
SUBJECT: FATA AND NWFP: WEEKLY INCIDENTS OF TALIBANIZATION, APRIL 25
- APRIL 30

REF: A) ISLAMABAD 888; B) PESHAWAR 81; C) ISLAMABAD 936; D) PESHAWAR 87; E) ISLAMABAD 871

CLASSIFIED BY: Lynne Tracy, Principal Officer, U.S. Consulate
Peshawar, U.S. Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (d)
Introduction

- - - - - - -



C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 PESHAWAR 000106

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/22/2019
TAGS: PTER MOPS PGOV PK
SUBJECT: FATA AND NWFP: WEEKLY INCIDENTS OF TALIBANIZATION, APRIL 25
- APRIL 30

REF: A) ISLAMABAD 888; B) PESHAWAR 81; C) ISLAMABAD 936; D) PESHAWAR 87; E) ISLAMABAD 871

CLASSIFIED BY: Lynne Tracy, Principal Officer, U.S. Consulate
Peshawar, U.S. Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (d)
Introduction

- - - - - - -




1. (C) Military operations in the Lower Dir and Buner districts
of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) dominated headlines
during the final week of April. By April 30, GOP officials
declared both operations successful, but stated that cleanup
operations could last days or weeks. (Refs. A, B) The trend of
militant violations of the peace deal in Swat evident in
previous weeks continued, with abductions, looting, and new
checkpoints by militants. Multiple incidents in previous calm
Mansehra and Mardan districts appear to have been enabled by
last week's militant takeover of Buner as a base of operations.
Bajaur and Mohmand, by contrast, were quieter than in past weeks.




2. (C) The operations in Lower Dir and Buner created a large
number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs),but the exact
number of IDPs and their needs had yet to be determined by the
end of April. (Ref. C).



Lower Dir

- - - - -




4. (SBU) The following is a summary of events in Lower Dir
District, NWFP, a neighboring district to Swat, where the
government launched a military operation during the final week
of April:



April 26: Security forces reportedly killed 26 militants in an
offensive by security forces after militants ambushed troops,
killing two Frontier Corps soldiers and wounding at least five,
including a Major. Fierce clashes were reported in the Maidan
area, home of Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi Chief Maulana
Sufi Muhammad. Taliban chief of Maidan, Maulana Shahid, was
reportedly killed. Chitral Scouts and Dir Scouts were
reportedly involved in the fighting, centered on the Lal Qila
area of Maidan, home to Commander Hafizullah.



April 27: Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik claimed that
the district was under "complete control" of security forces.
The Pakistani Army claimed that it inflicted "heavy casualties

on militants" in the Maidain area. The fighting has reportedly
caused a large displacement of people.



April 28: Pakistan's military spokesman claimed that the
operation against militants in Lower Dir was successfully
completed, with 70 to 75 militants killed.



April 30: Despite previous announcements that the operation had
concluded, security forces continued to target suspected
militants hideouts in the Maidan area from gunship helicopters
and artillery. Thousands of residents fled the fighting.




PESHAWAR 00000106 002 OF 006


Buner

- - -




5. (SBU) The following is a summary of events in Buner District,
NWFP, a neighboring district to Swat, where militants entered in
April:



April 25: A grand jirga of locals, with thousands attending,
appealed for peace in the district and demanded the army stay
out. Despite reports of a taliban retreat from the district,
residents said that many fighters remained in the hilly
outskirts of the district. One police officer estimated that
200 local taliban could be seen on the roadsides. Some
militants smashed cassettes, a cassette player, and shaved the
heads and moustaches of four men as punishment for listening to
music. The taliban beat the men and told them never to listen
to music again.



April 26: Some tribal elders announced conditional support for
the Taliban, but urged them to call back its non-local militants
from the district. Another public meeting attended by 3,000 at
Swarai Bazaar urged the Taliban to stop their activities in the
district. Militants occupied a hospital at an Afghan refugee
camp in Koga, converting it into their headquarters. Taliban
put up posters in streets and markets ordering women not to go
shopping.





April 28: Security forces, backed by tanks, artillery, gunship
helicopters and jetfighters, launched a major operation against
militants in Buner. Intelligence agencies reportedly
intercepted a cell phone call between Swat Taliban chief Maulana
Fazlullah with his commanders instructing them to take over the
district after faking a withdrawal. Militants took 71 security
officials hostage in Sultanwas after inviting them to talks at a
local mosque.



April 29: The Pakistani military announced that it took control
of district headquarters, Daggar. Security forces reported
killing over 50 militants in the two-day operation, including
two "high-value" targets: Maulvi Shahid and Qari Quresh.
Gunship helicopters targeted militant positions throughout the
district. 18 of 71 security personnel kidnapped were recovered.



April 30: Militants reportedly attacked a Frontier Corps
checkpoint in northern Buner, and captured several police
stations in the area. Suicide motorcycle and car bombers tried
to hit government troops in the south of Buner, but were killed
before reaching their targets. Two Frontier Constabulary
platoons, besieged at Jowar Camp, were reportedly allowed to
leave after surrendering to militants. Security forces
reportedly killed another 14 militants and gained control over
Ambela heights. The military reported tough taliban resistance
over the 8 km long Ambela Pass, claiming to secure half of that
distance.



Swat


PESHAWAR 00000106 003 OF 006


- - -




6. (SBU) The following is a summary of events in Swat, where a
recent peace agreement and Qazi courts are being implemented:



April 25: Militants reportedly put up posters in Mingora's
streets and markets ordering women not to go shopping, stating
that "the peace agreement does not mean that obscenity should be
re-born."



April 26: Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) spokesman Muslim Khan said
Taliban would not lay down weapons unless all Americans in
Pakistan returned to their country and Darul Qaza was
established in Swat. Militants reportedly set up checkposts in
Bahrain and were seen advancing toward Kalam, while security
forces set up a checkpost in Khwazakhela.



April 27: TNSM suspended talks with the government based on the
operation in Lower Dir. Residents reported rising tension as
militants continued armed patrols, threatened a group of lawyers
and recalcitrant militants, captured a telephone exchange and
looted two NGO offices in Saidu Sharif. The Executive Director
of one of the NGOs stated that militants stole all of its
computers, printers and furniture, and destroyed its records;
the NGO has temporarily suspended its operations in Swat shifted
to Islamabad for safety.



April 28: Militants warned journalists of dire consequences if
they did not stop "propaganda" against their "struggle" for the
enforcement of Shari'a in Malakand Division.





April 30: Police vacated a station in Kalam due to security
concerns. Four policemen were reportedly abducted in Charbagh
and Amankot; ten people from Swat were abducted during the
previous three days. Militants opened fire on a car in Asharai
in Matta, killing two and injuring four.



Bajaur and Mohmand

- - - - - - - - - -




7. (SBU) The following is a summary of events in Bajaur and
Mohmand Agencies, where the Pakistani military has been
conducting military operations since August 2008:





April 27, Bajaur: Militants reportedly killed an elder of the
Salarzai lashkar, along with another tribal elder.



NWFP


PESHAWAR 00000106 004 OF 006


- - -




8. (C) The following incidents have occurred in the Northwest
Frontier Province (NWFP) according to press and consulate
contacts:



April 25, Battagram: After the taliban issued threats against
local and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
referring to them as "centers of vulgarity," the organizations
suspended operations in the district.



April 25, Lower Dir: A bomb placed in a football near a girls'
primary school exploded after the children took it home, killing
twelve, seven from the same family.

April 26, Dera Ismail Khan: Militants killed the district
leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and his wife on
their way home from a wedding by spraying their vehicle with
bullets.



April 26, Mardan: Residents claimed that Taliban militants had
stepped up attacks in the district and started assembling local
followers in the area.





April 27, Nowshera: Militants fired on a police post with heavy
weapons with no casualties reported.



April 27, Lakki Marwat: Militants killed District Police
Officer with an roadside IED.



April 28, Mansehra: Militants reportedly have infiltrated into
Kala Dhaka, the district's tribal belt, from bordering Buner
District, and established a camp in the area.





April 29, Mardan: Militants ambushed a police patrol unit on
the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1),seriously injuring an
officer. Reports claimed around 30 militants fired a
rocket-propelled grenade, which missed the patrol vehicle, but
hit another vehicle. (Ref. D)





April 30, Mansehra: Militants reportedly blew up a police
vehicle with a remote controlled bomb, seriously injuring an
officer.



April 30, Upper Dir: Militants reportedly damaged a bridge
connecting Upper Dir with the Kohistan district.



PESHAWAR 00000106 005 OF 006



FATA

- - -




9. (C) The following is a roundup of incidents of talibanization
in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Frontier
Regions:



April 26, North Waziristan: A hand grenade explosion killed
four family members in their pickup truck.



April 26, Khyber: One levy was killed and another injured in
Landikotal after an exchange of fire.



April 26, Kurram: Nine persons died and 17 others were injured
in renewed clashes between the Turi and Bangash tribes.



April 26, Orakzai: Two women were killed when a bomb went off
in their village home. Militants also blew up the shrine of
Nusrat Ali Hussain.

April 27, South Waziristan: Militants reportedly killed a man
accused of being a "US spy."





April 30, FR Kohat: In an apparent sectarian attack, a roadside
bomb went off when a mini-bus passed, killing a Shi'a man and
wounding six others.



April 30, FR Bannu: Militants blew up a government girls'
school.



April 30, Orakzai: Militants auctioned off the goods they
retrieved from 10 shops of Sikh merchants they forcibly occupied
earlier in the week.



Government Response

- - - - - - - - - -




10. (SBU) This is a summary of government responses to "creeping
talibanization" according to press and consulate contacts:



April 26, Swabi: Police seized 475 kilograms of explosives and
arrested two people on the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway, seizing
19 crates of explosives.





PESHAWAR 00000106 006 OF 006



April 26, Battagram: Security forces in Hazara Division of NWFP
(Note: Hazara Division consists of five districts: Abbottabad,
Battagram, Haripur, Kohistan and Mansehra. End note.) stated
that adequate measures had been taken to stop the spillover of
militants from nearby Malakand Division. Several hundred troops
were deployed in Thakot, Battagram District, NWFP, since April
24, and in Shangla and Kohistan, to block the route linking
Malakand Division with Hazara Division and the northern areas.



April 27, FR Kohat: Security forces blew up two suspected
militant houses in Darra Adam Khel.



April 27, Peshawar: Police reportedly arrested 11 Uzbeks
suspected of militant activities.



Grass Roots Efforts to Halt Talibanization

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -




11. (U) The following events are examples of activities taken by
local communities to halt the spread of Talibanization:



April 26, Peshawar: Billboards featuring women reappeared in
the city after several weeks in which taliban threats had led to
their removal.
TRACY