Afghan militants storm Kalash Valley, steal herd of goats

The Express Tribune News Network.

Dozens of Afghan militants crossed into the Kalash Valley of Chitral on Friday, made off with a herd of goats and kidnapped a shepherd. According to an official of the Chitral Scouts, the militants came from the Nuristan province of Afghanistan. The official had rushed to the site and chased the militants up to the border following the incursion. The official said that the militants attacked the Dobazha pastures in the morning and took away around 700 goats with them. “They also kidnapped a shepherd identified as Abd Khun, a resident of Kara Kaarh area of Bamboret in Kalash, for showing resistance,” the official said. He added that before the arrival of the scouts, the residents of the area also followed the militants in efforts to release the herds and the shepherd, but the residents said that the militants had crossed the border immediately and had also killed at least 20 goats. The residents expressed concern over the continuous border incursions of militants into the Garmai pastures of Bamboret, the stealing of their herds and kidnappings of shepherds. They demanded the security forces in Chitral to stop living in plains and move into their check posts in the mountains to guard the borders. According to a local, the armed residents of Bamboret who chased after the militants had crossed the border into Afghanistan and had successfully taken back their goats and the shepherds. Pakistani security officials say that militants from banned outfits, who have found a safe haven in Afghanistan, have sporadically carried out attacks on the security forces in Pakistan. Pakistani government officials have repeatedly urged the Afghan government to stop the cross border attacks and take action against the militant factions who are constantly targeting security forces and civilians, but the Afghan government denied the incursions and instead blamed Pakistan for violating its border. Both the countries claim that they would work on these issues and would put pressure on the enemy that operates along the border to put an end to the incursions.