PESHAWAR: After the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government gave its nod to crack down on miscreants following several attacks on aid convoys, law enforcement agencies along with the civil administration have launched a clearance operation in the affected parts of Kurram district. The district administration has confirmed that the fight against miscreants in Lower Kurram areas has entered its second day amid curfew. Contingents of security forces and police have already been deployed in the affected areas, where deadly clashes have taken place before a peace deal was signed between the warring tribes earlier this month. He added that 20 families left their houses in the affected parts, while some families were relocated to their relatives’ houses and Hangu. Commissioner Kohat clarified that the activities under Operation Kurram were not against locals but against anything. His statement came after repeated attacks on aid convoys and vehicles in and around the Bagan area, including a targeted attack on Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud despite a peace deal reached on January 1. Personnel of the KP police, district administration and other law enforcement agencies participated in the clearance operation in Bagan and its suburbs after moving residents to safe places, sources close to the provincial government told Geo News. Prior to this development, the district administration had set up Temporary Displaced Persons (TDP) camps in four village councils of the lower Kurram tribal district. It was gathered that these camps have been set up in Hang where those affected by the operation will be temporarily housed until the liquidation operation is completed. Sources added that the local administration has arranged for 1,500 to 3,000 families to stay in the camps. Under the peace deal, eight bunkers in Bagan were demolished with the consent of the warring parties, the sources said. Another relief convoy with food, medicine and other essential items is expected to leave for Kurram district in three days after the security situation improves. Kurram has been wracked by violence for decades, but about 150 people have been killed in a new round of fighting that began in November last year, when two separate convoys traveling under police escort were ambushed, killing 40 people. Last week, terrorists ambushed a convoy of 35 vehicles supplying rice, flour, cooking oil and basic medicines to local traders in the restive territory, killing at least 8 people, including security personnel, drivers and civilians. The retaliatory action of the security forces resulted in the killing of six attackers. “The peace agreement is being implemented,” members of the grand jirga, including Pir Haider, Laiq Orakzai, Wasi Syed Mian and Haji Noorjaf, told The News on Sunday. They described the destruction of bunkers belonging to both tribes and compliance with the agreement. However, they said there have been several violations of the agreement in the past 10 days. They warned that if the government did not act against these violations, future jirgas and agreements would become meaningless.
