Mardan, March 30 (IANS) In a first-of-its-kind operation, the Pakistan military carried out drone strikes to target suspected militant hideouts in Babozai village in Katlang tehsil of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) province’s Mardan district, killing at least 11 militants of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and, reportedly, nine civilians.
Following Saturday’s operation, security sources claimed that the attack was carried out after credible information based on intelligence of TTP hideouts and the militants gathered in the Katlang mountains with a plan to carry out attacks during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr festivities and prayers.
Security sources also alleged that the air strikes killed 11 TTP militants, while a total of 25 TTP militants were neutralised in the military operation.
However, after the incident, the locals and the government officials confirmed that civilians, including women and children, had also been killed in the airstrikes, stating that the locals staged a protest against civilian casualties.
Locals stated that the drone strikes killed at least nine members of a shepherd family, who they said were civilians.
The KP provincial government also confirmed the incident, adding that there were also civilian casualties.
“An Anti-terror operation was conducted in the Karlang mountainous area of Mardan district based on credible information about the presence of terrorists. According to reports, this location was being used for the hideout and movement of terrorist elements,” said Barrister Saif, spokesperson for the KP provincial government.
“It is regrettable that unarmed people were killed in the operation, including women and children,” he added.
On the other hand, after receiving reports about civilian casualties and protests by locals of the area, who kept the dead bodies of the deceased on the Swat Expressway and blocked two lanes for traffic, the KP government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident and announced a compensation of Rs 5 million for each victim.
Local sources revealed that the nine victims of the family, killed in the drone strike, belonged to Shamozai Tehsil of Swat district and used to migrate from Swat along with sheep and goats during the winter season to settle in the foothills of Babozai and Shamozai villages in Mardan district.
The death of civilians has sparked a wave of anger and outrage among the locals and has raised many questions concerning the credibility of the intelligence reports about the TTP hideout targeted in the drone strikes.
While the security forces reject the claim of civilian casualties, stating that all the killed in the air strikes belonged to TTP, stressing that no civilian could have been living in the mountainous ranges of Katlang tehsil, locals have also released the names of the killed victims in the strike, establishing the claim that they were civilians and not TTP militants.
Amjad Ali Khan, Housing Minister of the KP government, claimed that he had known each victim killed in the drone strike personally, asserting that they all were civilians.
“All the nine people, including two women and two children, who were killed in the drone attack in Katlang were 200 per cent innocent people. I knew each one of them personally as they belonged to my native town in Shamozai in Swat,” he said.
“I personally visited the site where they were killed and assured their relatives of a proper inquiry into the incident,” he added.
The KP government also issued a press release on the incident, assuring that an investigation into the incident has been initiated.
“This is an immensely painful and regrettable development. Every effort is made during such operations to avoid collateral damage. However, the complex terrain, the deliberate tactics of militants to embed within civilian populations, and the fog of war can sometimes lead to unintended consequences,” read a statement issued by the KP government.
“The government extends its deepest condolences to the affected families and stands with the affected families in this moment of grief. Immediate measures are being taken to investigate the circumstances surrounding civilian presence in the area, extend medical assistance to the injured and facilitate relief and compensation for the victims’ families,” the statement added.
The latest drone strikes seem to be a new tactic by the Pakistani military establishment to target militant hideouts. However, civilian casualties and the outrage expressed by the locals are certainly a major issue for the security forces to contend with as the anti-military sentiments among the locals will further aggravate.
On the other hand, TTP had also announced a three-day ceasefire for Eid-ul-Fitr, terming its announcement as a gesture to allow the people of Pakistan to celebrate in peace. However, TTP also maintained that while it has halted its activities during Eid, it holds the right to respond to any military aggression in self-defence if attacked.
–IANS
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