PESHAWAR/BANNU, Jan 18: Growing influence of militants and resultant insecurity have forced tribesmen in the restive North and South Waziristan agencies to migrate to adjacent districts of the NWFP.

Besides, people in North Waziristan say, indiscriminate shellings on non-combatants by security forces have also caused a large-scale displacement of tribesmen from parts of Mirali and Miramshah tehsils. “Security forces don’t distinguish between combatants and non-combatants,” said a man who recently moved to Peshawar from Chashma Kali in Miramshah Tehsil.

Uprooted families are forced to live with relatives in Bannu, Karak and Dera Ismail Khan districts and even in Peshawar.

Local people say that Chashma Kali, Qutabkhel, Serbandki, Derpakhel, Miramshah village, Eisokhel, Emarki, Mosaki, Eidak, Milagan and Khushali Toorikhel in Miramshah and Mirali tehsils were the hardest-hit areas and hundreds of families have left their houses.

Residents complained that troops had been taking action in the areas since January 7 when militants stormed a check-post in Eisokhel and carried out other acts of sabotage. Eight soldiers were killed in the midnight attack.

According to affected families, security forces fired from their base camps in Miramshah and Mirali without taking adequate measures to avoid hitting civilians.

According to an official source, the agency’s political agent, Zaheer-ul-Islam, while addressing a tribal jirga warned: “The army will react indiscriminately to stop miscreant attacks on forces in the troubled region.”

Independent sources and witnesses said that displaced families were trying to find shelter in Bannu and Karak districts, while more displacements from the volatile agency were underway. They said that several families had sold their cattle to rent houses in Bannu.

There are reports that many people have moved towards the Razmak sub-division of the agency where local people usually go in summer.

After receiving strong warnings from the political and military authorities, tribesmen have started joint patrolling in their areas to protect security forces and government installations from militants.

“Taliban have assured us that they are not attacking security forces,” a tribesman said, adding that the Taliban had also joined night-patrolling committees. But security forces are still coming under attack in the area.

Officials dealing with Fata affairs said that the North Waziristan political administration had not informed them about the exodus of local people.

Sources said that the security situation in South Waziristan Agency was also grim and pro-government tribal elders had migrated to Dera Ismail Khan since militants had started target killings.

About 100 pro-government elders and their relatives have been killed in South Waziristan over the past year.