KHYBER: Fear has gripped parts of Tirah valley here as armed men from militant groups Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) began patrols.

The residents urged authorities to enhance security in the valley for their protection.

People of Pir Mela and Maidan areas told Dawn over the phone that though local markets were open and vehicles were entering and leaving the valley as usual, the resurgence of TTP and LI had heightened their security concerns.

They said that those militants were present in Bar Qambarkhel, Adamkhel, Thiyrai and Landawar areas of Shalobar, Pir Mela of Zakhakhel, Bhutan Shareef and Sanda Pal areas but didn’t openly patrol main roads and markets until now.

The residents said that videos of the armed TTP men in Pir Mela Bazaar had gone viral on social media, so the security forces should crack down on them.

Residents demand enhanced security

A Pir Mela resident told Dawn that while ordinary people were subjected to repeated body searches and questioning at security checkposts, armed militants freely moved around.

He insisted that the local police and Levies force had “almost vanished” from the region after the emergence of TTP and LI militants.

“The situation is very tense as the local population has lost confidence in law-enforcement agencies due to their indifference to the activities of militants,” he said.

Another resident from Maidan said that no one was leaving their houses in anticipation of any military operation against militants.

“We can’t afford to shift to any other place. We have suffered huge losses during our last displacement. The majority of us have yet to rebuild houses or resume work,” he told Dawn.

The resident said that the locals hadn’t maintained any contact with militants, fearing an adverse reaction from security forces.

However, people from Sanda Pal, Bhutan Shareef and Dars Jumaat claimed that armed militants demanded food and shelter, which they couldn’t afford to deny due to the fears of dire consequences for non-compliance.

They said that in case of the provision of food and shelter to militants, the security forces attacked their houses with mortar shells at night “on the pretext of targeting militant positions.”

A Pashto pamphlet circulated on social media claimed that TTP militants had complete control over the Peer Tharee area in Shalobar and Bhutan and they had begun patrols in Pir Mela Bazaar and surrounding areas as the security forces had already abandoned their positions.

The pamphlet, whose source is not clear, said it wasn’t sure about the presence of the banned outfit in Malakdinkhel areas.

The residents, however, rejected the assertion, insisting security forces are still present in those areas but they have yet to check militant patrols.

Meanwhile, Kukikhel tribesmen on Monday morning besieged the offices of the district administration in Jamrud tehsil here to demand the early return of the remaining displaced families to their houses in Tirah Valley.

They, however, went back to their protest camp adjacent to Bab-i-Khyber after talks with the local police officials.

The protest sit-in by Kukikhels entered its 15th day as authorities were set to announce a schedule for the return of IDPs.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2024