Banned outfit spreading tentacles in Peshawar villages

A banned militant group in the nearby Khyber Agency has increased its activities in the towns adjacent to the tribal area and triggered fears among the local people, a source said. The source said the men of the group were freely operating in the villages in the limits of Bhanamari, Badaber, Matani, Pishtakhara and Sarband police stations. The militants, the source said, had seized and killed people to cause terror among the villagers. A number of incidents were reported from the jurisdiction of these police stations during the last couple of weeks, the source said. Last week, three members of a family were killed after seven of them were taken away from their house by armed men wearing the uniform of the security forces. Another three persons were picked up from the Ring Road in the limits of the Bhanamari Police Station while another was seized from the Dora Road. The group is carrying out activities in the villages close to Khyber Agency and has forced a number of families to migrate to safer places. The villagers have been warned against siding with the government or the pro-government Amn Lashkars raised by the people to work for peace and defend their villages. Search operations by the police are being carried out often in the villages close to the Khyber Agency. However, the villagers rural Peshawar are concerned as to how these armed men make way into the suburban parts of Peshawar and kidnap people without being unchallenged by the police. Many have questioned the role of the political authorities of the Khyber Agency as well as the security forces in the tribal areas for failing to stop the armed groups from operating in the settled areas. A similar situation was witnessed in these villages a few years back, but the situation improved after action was taken against the armed groups operating in and around Peshawar.