DIG survives attack as Taliban spread tentacles to Saidu Sharif

MINGORA: A day after Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani visited troubled valley and issued directions to troops for surge in operation against local Taliban, militants attacked a top police administrator as thousands of people fled to safer places from the troubled areas.
DIG Malakand Shaukat Hayat was presiding a high level meeting at his office situated in Saidu Sharif, district capital, when militants loyal to Maulana Fazlullah unleashed a barrage of rockets on the office.
"Besides DIG Malakand, DPO and SP investigation were also present at the high level meeting in Chinar Inn building when Taliban attacked the venue," police sources told the Statesman.
The building was badly damaged in the attack, however, luckily the top police officials remained unhurt, sources added.
This was the firstever attack in Saidu Sharif, considerably peaceful area till now, sources added.
For about two years there were no attacks in the district capital despite the fact that Taliban had spread all over the district.
After the attack the law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and launched search operation.
Reportedly 14 suspected militants were arrested and huge cache of arms were recovered from their possession in the operation on Thursday from Chel Shagai area of Saidu Sharif.
Meanwhile five people were killed and 10 others wounded across the valley during shelling by the security forces on the hideouts of suspected militants.
Two men were killed when security forces opened firing on a suspected vehicle in Sperdad, Matta tehsil.Three persons including a woman were killed and 10 others hurt during shelling in Aligrama, Manglawar and Charbagh.
After surge in military operation thousands of people of troubled areas including Qambar, Manglawar and Charbagh have shifted to safer places, locals of these areas said.
"Every day dozens of families shift from the Qambar, Manglawar and Charbagh areas," witnesses said.
Due to curfew people prefer to travel on foot and use mountainous ways to reach their destinations, they added.
Meanwhile, militants targeted two security forces convoys with remote-controlled bombs in Charbagh and Kanju on Thursday, however no causalty was reported.
Sources said remote-controlled bombs hit security forces convoys in Charbagh and Kanju areas of tehsil Kabal.
An unannounced curfew has been imposed in Kanju after the attack.
Security forces pounded militants' hideouts in upper parts of tehsil Matta and Charbagh overnight.