Bia Daraglam ... “Here I Come Again,”

BARA: The security forces continued demolition of houses owned by militants or their supporters in Bara sub-division of Khyber Agency on the third day of the military operation on Thursday.Thirteen houses were destroyed with the help of explosives and heavy machinery in different parts of Bara including Shlobar, Malikdinkhel, Kamarkhel and Sipah. Eighteen tribesmen described as suspects were arrested during the search operation.The houses of Said Rasan, Habib Shakir and Imtiaz, all reportedly affiliated to the outlawed Lashkar-e-Islam, were destroyed in Kamarkhel area as the troops resumed action around 10am on Thursday.Two more houses owned by Sirajuddin and Shahid were razed to the ground in Malikdinkhel area. The former is known to be one of the founding members of Lashkar-e-Islam.In Shlobar area, houses of Haji Qasim and Gulmat were demolished. Haji Qasim was accused of funding the banned Lashkar-e-Islam while Gulmat is stated to be a member of Shlobar unit of the organization.The house of Lashkar-e-Islam chief Mangal Bagh was demolished in Sipah area. His house was earlier destroyed in the military operation conducted in June last year.Bia Daraglam, or “Here I Come Again,” is the name of the military action now underway in Bara area. This is the second military operation after the one carried out last year.Federal Minister Hamidullah Jan Afridi, who belongs to Bara, has criticized the military action and demanded an end to it. The government is claiming successes in the operation but tribesmen are complaining that innocent people have been killed and arrested during the action.People complained about the indefinite curfew and said they were running out of food and other items of daily use. Said Ayaz, general secretary of the shopkeepers association in Bara, told The News that the food items, vegetables and fruit in their shops were rotting. He said the security forces should relax the curfew for some time so that they might bring the perishable items out.