FATA AND NWFP: WEEKLY INCIDENTS OF TALIBANIZATION, FEBRUARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L PESHAWAR 000048


E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/12/2019
TAGS: PGOV PTER MOPS PK
SUBJECT: FATA AND NWFP: WEEKLY INCIDENTS OF TALIBANIZATION, FEBRUARY
27 - MARCH 5

REF: A) PESHAWAR 47 B) ISLAMABAD 501 C) PESHAWAR 43 D) PESHAWAR 42


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


Introduction
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1. (C) In Bajaur, Frontier Corps appears to be shifting its
focus to post-kinetic operations in the agency. We remain
concerned, however, about the ability of Bajaur's militants to
stage attacks. In Swat, although President Zadari has yet to
sign the order, the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP)
Government Information Minister, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, said on
February 28, the provincial government would enforce Nizam-i-Adl
regulation (Shari'a) in letter and spirit as promised with the
Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM) chief, Sufi Mohammad who
demanded enforcement to begin by March 16 (Ref. D). Militant
violations of the Swat ceasefire continued, but the provincial
government appears determined to keep the ceasefire alive (Ref
A).

Bajaur
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2. (C) The following is a summary of events in Bajaur Agency,
where the Pakistani military has been conducting military
operations since August 2008:

February 28: Speaking to international reporters in Bajaur,
March 28, Inspector General Frontier Corps General Tariq Khan
said "the militants have lost the war and now Bajaur is safe,"
Tariq was likely referring to securing the lines of
communication in the agency (Ref C).

March 3: The Mahmoond tribe of Bajaur announced that they would
support the government for the restoration of peace in Bajaur.
A jirga announced support for the restoration of the
government's writ and banned the display of arms in the area.

March 5: The Taliban blew up a primary school at Nawagai tehsil
of Bajaur Agency. No casualties were reported.


NWFP
- - -


3. (U) The following incidents have occurred in the Provincially
Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) and settled areas of the
Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) according to press and
consulate contacts:

February 28, Kohat: Two people were killed and five injured by
militant gunmen on motorcycles in what eyewitnesses said was a
calm, planned and coordinated attack on the Indus Highway near
Kohat. In a separate incident, nine men were shot by a rival
militant group who had ignored warnings to leave the area. The
killers fled to Orakzai after the attack.

March 2, Swat: A Frontier Corps Officer and four guards were
abducted in Kambar area of Swat.

March 2, Swat: Two Frontier Corps soldiers were killed in an
attack on a security convoy in Kabal tehsil. The
Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) claimed responsibility.

March 2, Kohat: JUI-F workers staged a demonstration and
blocked the Indus Highway for 30 minutes to protest arrests of
its members for links to the militants.

March 2, Dir: Dir taliban threatened to carry out suicide
attacks if the district administration in Doog Darra did not
stop organizing volunteers to expel them from the area.

March 3, Swat: The Frontier Corps Officer and guards abducted on
March 2 were released and reached Mingora safely.

March 3, Kohat: Four persons were kidnapped by suspected
militants near Darra Adam Khel.

March 4, Swat: Suspected taliban ambushed a security vehicle,
killing two troops and injuring an officer in Matta Tehsil. A
Taliban spokesman stated that security forces are making
movements without any prior information, which force Taliban to
carry out attacks.

March 4, Swat: Sufi Mohammad called the arrest of a TTP
activist against the peace deal he had signed with the NWFP
government last month.

March 4, Swat: Militants killed two soldiers and kidnapped two
Anti-Corruption Department officials who were later released.

March 4, Mingora, Swat: Locals say that militants, openly
carrying weapons, have been roaming free and have moved into
Mingora.

March 4, Nowshera: Four unidentified bodies presumed to be
foreign militants who had been killed 72 hours earlier were
recovered in the Babu Khwar Muslimabad area.

March 5, Mingora: TNSM gave the provincial government a 17 point
demand for regulating local society with the complete
implementation of shari'a law to come into effect from March 16
(Ref B).

March 5, Mingora: Security forces have started pulling out from
TTP leader Mullah Fazlullah's old headquarters in Imam Dheri to
Kanju, the headquarters of the Frontier Constabulary.

March 5, Peshawar: A police officer was killed and two persons
injured in an attempted kidnapping on University Road in
Peshawar.


FATA
- - -


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

February 28, Khyber: Two Khassadars were killed and another
kidnapped at a check post in the agency.

March 4, Khyber: Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) distributed pamphlets
demanding the Khyber Khassadar Force vacate all checkpoints
along the Pak-Afghan Highway and that this was their final
warning before serious consequences.

March 5, Bara: The Frontier Corps suspended the distribution of
relief goods and medical treatment following militant threats by
loudspeakers warning people not to receive any relief goods.
Security forces shifted the relief operation to another location
in the area.


Government Response
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6. (U) This is a summary of government responses to "creeping
talibanization" according to press and consulate contacts:

February 28, Peshawar: The NWFP government Information minister,
Mian Iftikhar Hussain, said the Provincial government would
enforce Niam-i-Adl regulation (Shari'a) in letter and spirit as
promised with the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM) chief,
Sufi Mohammad.

March 2, Kohat: Security forces killed seven militants in a gun
battle in Ghurzandi area of Lachi Tehsil and arrested two
activists of the Jamaat-iUlema-i-Islam-Fazl.

March 2, Mohmand: Militant "hideouts" shelled in Mohmand by
security forces from Ghallanai and the Bhai Dag camp.

March 3, Khyber: Security forces arrested three men during a
raid on a house in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber for alleged links to
the taliban.

March 3, Swat: NWFP Chief Minister Hoti reportedly stated that
girls would have access to schooling, but must wear the "proper
and required dress, which is a culture of this province and
[within] Islamic norms." Some girls' schools have reopened
since the cease-fire.

March 3, Swat: Commissioner received from Sufi Mohammad a list
of prisoners who would be released in phases after scrutiny by
the government as part of the Swat peace agreement.

March 4, Khyber: Hundreds of people in Jamrud and Landikotal
came to Frontier Corps relief camps to collect food items and
medicines furnished by Frontier Corps.

March 4, Peshawar: NWFP Inspector General of Police Malik
Naveed has directed the police department to further enhance
their intelligence network and to provide further security to
foreigners working on different projects in the province.

March 5, Hangu: The government has completed repair work on two
schools in Zargari and Shinwari villages of Hangu which had been
damaged during military operations.


TRACY