FATA AND NWFP: WEEKLY INCIDENTS OF TALIBANIZATION, JULY 31

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 PESHAWAR 000169 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/13/2019 TAGS: PTER MOPS ASEC PK SUBJECT: FATA AND NWFP: WEEKLY INCIDENTS OF TALIBANIZATION, JULY 31 AUGUST 6 REF: A) ISLAMABAD 1844; B) PESHAWAR 161; C) PESHAWAR 144 CLASSIFIED BY: Lynne Tracy, Principal Officer, U.S. Consulate Peshawar, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (d) Introduction - - - - - - - ¶1. (C) Conflict continued in the Malakand division - particularly in Swat, where the number of apparent revenge killings of militants doubled in relation to the previous reporting period. The Pakistani government obtained considerable favorable publicity for the activities of two small lashkars raised in Sultanwas (the former militant headquarters in Buner) and the Qalagay and Totano Bandai union councils of Swat (on the border with Lower Dir). These lashkars' activities have been relatively minimal, but they provide a local face for the anti-militant effort - important given the reluctance of local leaders to return to Swat (ref B). In Shangla, violence in the Puran tehsil rose significantly, as security forces clashed with militants (who had killed a local anti-militant leader during the previous reporting period). ¶2. (C) In North and especially South Waziristan, operations by the Pakistani military continued to be minimal, lending credence to rumors that the government was pursuing negotiations with Baitullah Mehsud. Initial reports indicated that Baitullah had been targeted in an explosion that killed his wife on August 5; later reports appeared to confirm his death in that explosion (ref A). In close-by Lakki Marwat, an operation to clear out militants from the village of Sultan Hasankhel stretched into its third week. ¶3. (C) On August 2, police in Saidu Sharif charged Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi (TNSM) leader Sufi Mohammed, arrested in the previous reporting period, with treason. These charges, which carry the death sentence upon conviction, signaled the provincial government's disinclination to again use Sufi Mohammad as an intermediary in negotiations with top Malakand militant leaders such as Fazlullah, as it had reportedly been pressured to do by the intelligence services (ref C). ¶4. (SBU) An August 1 raid on a Mardan-area mosque hosting an illegal radio transmitter underlined the extent to which illegal FM radio stations were now operating in Mardan. Local press described the alleged activities of two Mardan-area mullahs broadcasting on illegal FM stations. One, Maulavi Ikramullah, regularly preached against shops that stayed open on Friday, warning of reprisals by the militants for whom he claimed to speak. The other, Maulavi Malakpuri, allegedly led a gang of 60-70 militants who enforced Malakpuri's calls for taliban-compliant moral behavior by local merchants. NWFP - Malakand Division - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (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. July 31 - Swat: The bodies of three suspected militants were found in various locations near Saidu Sharif. July 31 - Upper Dir: Security forces claimed to have arrested a militant commander and six subordinates in Usherai Dara. July 31 - Lower Dir: Three women were reported as injured in an artillery strike on suspected militant positions in Maidan area. August 1 - Swat: Security forces conducted search operations in the Charbagh area, in which they claimed to kill two militants and arrest four. In the Shalpalam area, two suspected militants turned themselves in to the military. August 1 - Lower Dir: Security forces claimed to have killed PESHAWAR 00000169 002.2 OF 006 seven militants in ongoing operations in Maidan tehsil. August 1 - Buner: One presumed militant was injured and five others were injured in Batara during an internecine quarrel over the release of a hostage. August 2 - Swat: Security forces claimed to kill two militants and arrest seven in search operations in Derai and Danda. In other search operations near Gulibagh, the military arrested ten suspected militants. In Shah Dheri, security forces arrested eight suspected militants and found a cache of explosives. The body of a suspected militant was found in Saidu Sharif, and another apparent revenge killing victim's body was found in Koray area of Matta tehsil. August 2 - Shangla: A local militant surrendered to security forces. August 3 - Swat: The military conducted search operations in the Salampur area, arresting four suspected militants; they arrested nine other suspected militants in searches at various locations elsewhere in the district. In a search operation in Charbagh, troops discovered a large arms cache in the house and madrassa of a local cleric. August 3 - Upper Dir: The military claimed to kill at least five militants in jet airstrikes in Doog Darra. August 3 - Lower Dir: The military reported conducting aerial bombardment in Maidan tehsil, but no casualties were reported. August 3 - Buner: Police destroyed five homes of suspected leaders in Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammedi (TNSM). August 3 - Shangla: Three suspected militants surrendered themselves to the authorities. August 3 - Malakand: The military claimed to capture one suspected militant in the Dargai Killay area. August 4 - Swat: One policeman was killed and one Frontier Constabulary member injured during a search operation near Barikot in Lower Swat; police claimed to kill six militants in the clash. The military arrested eight suspected militants in a search operation in the Charbagh area, four others in search operations in Kalam and Bahrain, and two near Saidu Sharif. The bodies of five suspected militants were recovered in various locations in Mingora in apparent revenge killings. August 4 - Shangla: Security forces destroyed a seminary belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban supporter Maulana Waliullah Kabulgrami and 12 houses belonging to other suspected militant supporters in Puran tehsil. Security forces also killed a suspected militant and displayed his body in the main square of the town of Puran. Suspected militants destroyed the house of the deputy nazim of Puran tehsil in Kabulgram. August 5 - Upper Dir: The lashkar claimed to have killed eleven militants in the Doog Darra area; two lashkar members and a policeman were wounded in the fight. August 5 - Lower Dir: Maulana Shahid, a commander of Maidan-area militants, announced to the press that he was leaving the area to fight in Afghanistan. August 5 - Buner: District police claimed to have killed three militants in a joint operation with the Frontier Constabulary in Chamla tehsil. August 6 - Swat: A lashkar recently formed in the Qalagay and Totano Bandai region of Kabal tehsil (bordering Lower Dir) killed three people it claimed to be militants; in return, the military presented the lashkar with 50,000 rupees (USD 625), five rifles, and 3,000 bullets. Security forces claimed to kill four militants in Samsel Bandai near Kabal and two more militants in a search operation in Amankot. PESHAWAR 00000169 003 OF 006 August 6 - Shangla: The military arrested six suspected militants from Jan Patai (near Alpurai). NWFP - Hazara Division - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (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 Abbottabad, Battagram, Haripur, Kohistan and Mansehra. August 2 - Mansehra: A bomb placed outside of a CD store in Balakot damaged 15 shops; two people were injured in the blast. August 4 - Mansehra: Responding to the bomb blast two days earlier, a meeting of clerics and other prominent residents of Balakot decided to form community watch groups to report potential militant activities; however, the committee also mandated that all CD shops cease to operate. August 5 - Kohistan: Militants reportedly ambushed a military convoy on the Karakoram Highway, killing one soldier and injuring three. NWFP - Mardan Division - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶7. (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. August 1 - Mardan: Police raided a mosque in the Bagh area of the city, arresting one person and confiscating equipment for an illegal FM station operating out of the mosque. Press reported that police had sought permission to also arrest the imam of the mosque. August 3 - Mardan: Police arrested a suspected militant commander and his son, supposedly pretending to be IDPs, at Baizai Kharkhi checkpoint. NWFP - Peshawar Division - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶8. (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. August 2 - Peshawar: Unidentified armed men opened fire on police personnel at a checkpost on the Peshawar Ring Road at Islampura; two died. Separately, police arrested 59 suspected militants in a search operation in the city of Peshawar. Security forces found the booby-trapped, beheaded body of a previously kidnapped prayer leader in the Badabher area (near Darra Adam Khel); police disarmed the bomb without casualties. August 3 - Peshawar: A roadside bomb detonated after a police van passed; police reported no casualties. Separately, police continued their search operation in the city of Peshawar, arresting 39 people. NWFP - Kohat Division - - - - - - - - - - - ¶9. (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. July 31 - Kohat: The district government refused to give security clearance to the OGDCL (Pakistan's national oil and gas company) to drill in the Sheikhan area (bordering FR Kohat), PESHAWAR 00000169 004 OF 006 because it could not secure the area against militant attack. August 1 - Hangu: Four policemen were killed by a roadside bomb near Shinawari checkpoint. Separately, presumed militants kidnapped four Kurram levies. August 2 - Hangu: Police arrested eleven suspected militants in search operations in Balayamina area. August 5 - Kohat: Press reported that police arrested a small number of suspected militants in a search operation in the southern Sumari area of the district August 5 - Hangu: Security forces in Thall tehsil arrested twelve suspected militants from North and South Waziristan and Khost province of Afghanistan, and they confiscated a cache of arms and ammunition. August 6 - Hangu: Unidentified gunmen attacked the home of former provincial minister Ghaniur Rehman and his son, current MPA Attiqur Rehman NWFP - Bannu Division - - - - - - - - - - - ¶10. (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. July 31 - Lakki Marwat: Police claimed to have recovered a weapons cache in Sultan Hasankhel. August 1 - Bannu: Suspected militants destroyed a girls' school in Piran Daudshah. August 2 - Lakki Marwat: Security forces destroyed the Siddiqia madrassa in Machenkhel, which they claimed was being used as a shelter by militants. Separately, suspected militants fired on a police checkpost near Sultan Hasankhel village. August 3 - Lakki Marwat: Security forces destroyed the Jamia Miftahul Uloom madrassa in the Bachkan Ahmedzai area, which they claimed was being used as a sanctuary by militants. August 4 - Bannu: One Frontier Constabulary soldier was killed and five wounded when a roadside bomb was detonated against their vehicle. August 4 - Lakki Marwat: A committee of displaced people from Sultan Hasankhel pledged to keep militants out of their village upon their return to it. NWFP - Dera Ismail Khan Division - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶11. (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. July 31 - Tank: Police claimed to arrest a leader of Jaish-i-Mohammad in Kuch village. July 31 - Dera Ismail Khan: The handcuffed and blindfold body of a Mehsud tribesman was found outside of DI Khan city. Separately, security forces demolished the home of another Mehsud tribesman suspected of links to militants. August 3 - Dera Ismail Khan: In Kulachi tehsil, security forces arrested 13 people they accused of having links with South Waziristan militants and demolished the house of another. August 4 - Dera Ismail Khan: Police confiscated a cache of arms and explosives, including suicide vests, near Sherania tribal area. PESHAWAR 00000169 005 OF 006 August 6 - Dera Ismail Khan: Unknown gunmen killed two shopkeepers rumored to be members of Sipah-i-Sahaba. Northern FATA - - - - - - - ¶12. (C) 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). July 31 - Mohmand: Unknown gunmen kidnapped a tribal elder and his son from their home in the Baizai tehsil. In the Safi tehsil, the local lashkar demolished the home of a militant who refused to turn himself in to the authorities. August 1 - Bajaur: Three FC were wounded in a roadside bomb explosion in the Chinar area of Charmang valley; security forces claimed to kill two militants and wound three others in response. August 1 - Mohmand: Six suspected militants from the Mirza Khel and Shati Khel sub-tribes surrendered to authorities. August 1 - Khyber: Security forces captured three kidnappers and rescued six foreign hostages in a house in the Sipah area of Bara tehsil. The hostages included five Nigerians and one Sierra Leonean; another Nigerian hostage had apparently died. Security forces claimed that the arrested kidnappers had links with Lashkar-i-Islam (LI); an LI spokesman denied this but said that the men had been made prisoners because of their involvement in procurement of narcotics. August 3 - Bajaur: The Frontier Corps claimed to kill three militants in artillery strikes in Salarzai tehsil. A jirga of Salarzai elders promised authorities they would expel militants from their area. August 3 - Mohmand: The lashkar in Khwaizai Bazai tehsil arrested twelve persons in two locations; they claimed that all were relatives of militants. Suspected militants in Safi tehsil kidnapped five people, all of whom were reportedly relatives of khassadars. Separately, the Qandahari tribe surrendered six suspected militants to the political authorities in Safi tehsil. August 3 - Khyber: Six people were killed and five others injured in clashes between LI and rival group Ansarul Islam in the Tirah valley. Separately, militants launched a rocket at an army/khassadar post at Lala Kandao in Jamrud tehsil; there were no casualties. 4 August - Mohmand: Presumed militants freed three of the five khassadar relatives kidnapped the previous day. Unknown parties kidnapped a khassadar. August 4 - Khyber: An improvised explosive devise was detonated and another disarmed near security forces positions at Lala Kandao in Jamrud tehsil. August 6 - Bajaur: The Frontier Corps claimed to kill seven militants and injure two others in artillery strikes in the Charmang Valley and other areas of Nawagai tehsil; they also arrested three suspected militant commanders in Manogai village of Nawagai tehsil. Separately, the Frontier Corps and the Salarzai lashkar claimed to kill two militants in operations in their area. Suspected militants killed a member of the levies near Khar. August 6 - Khyber: Security forces killed one LI member and arrested five others at the suspected LI headquarters in Akakhel Mera area of Bara tehsil. One member of the Frontier Constabulary was also killed in the exchange of fire that preceded the arrests. Southern FATA - - - - - - - PESHAWAR 00000169 006 OF 006 ¶13. (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: August 1 - Orakzai: The military claimed to kill two militants in helicopter airstrikes on a Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) camp in Chapri Feroze Khel area. August 1 - FR Kohat: The military claimed to destroy a house and two cars owned by Darra Adam Khel militant leader Tariq Afridi in a fighter jet airstrike. August 3 - Orakzai: Security forces fired artillery at suspected militant hideouts; no casualties were reported. August 3 - FR Kohat: Security forces fired artillery at targets ion Darra Adam Khel; no casualties were reported. August 4 - North Waziristan: Militants fired rockets and mortars at the military base and at a check post in Miram Shah, killing four soldiers and injuring six. In response, the military fired artillery at suspected militant positions, killing nine people and injuring four more; most were women and children. In Datta Khel, Frontier Corps fired artillery in response to a militant attack on the FC fort near the village, injuring seven women and children. August 5 - Orakzai: The military claimed to kill four militants in airstrikes against suspected TTP hideouts in Lower Orakzai. August 6 - North Waziristan: A helicopter airstrike on Qutabkhel village (near Miram Shah) killed one man and injured seven other people, all of whom were women and children. August 6 - FR Tank: Militants fired rockets at Jandola fort, injuring one member of the Frontier Corps. TRACY