The Spokesman of Frontier Corps Khyber Pakthunkhwa here Sunday clarified that the security forces take utmost care to protect the lives and property of the people of Bara and other parts of Khyber Agency and shall never indulge in killing of innocent civilians in any case.
In a rejoinder statement issued here, the FC Spokesman said the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) are laying down their lives to deny space to terrorists and check their violent activities directed against innocent citizens.
The spokesman said, “Bara because of its proximity to the Provincial metropolis Peshawar has remained a safe haven for smugglers, adductors and narco dealers. The outlawed militant outfits like Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) and TTP had gained stranglehold of the area to maintain their finances and unleash terror in Peshawar.”
He said last one year has seen killings of two SPs and score of Police personnel by these outfits along Bara frontier road as well as Peshawar ring road and all the violent acts were initiated through thickly populated areas of Bara and the perpetrators sought refuge among the populace.
To purge the militants from Bara, he said, most of the areas were vacated through Political Administration and relocated to Jalozai camps to avoid collateral innocent causalities. Since last few months the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) are actively engaging militant to ensure security of Peshawar.
Unfortunately, he said, the terrorists use civilian population (which inspite of clear instructions continue to stay in the area) and build up areas to engage security forces.
“More often the terrorists engage and kill the locals to scare them away from supporting LEAs and Govt authorities. The regular killing of Aka Khel and Shalobar Aman Committees members inside Bara is the case in point. The limit was crossed when the terrorists abducted 22 local Levies (Afridi) personnel from FR Peshawar and summarily executed them,” he said.
To meet the renewed threats to Peshawar city and increasing attacks on Police Posts, a redeployment of forces (Police, Frontier Constabulary and Frontier Corps) was done.
“On night 14/15 January 2013 a fairly large number of Terrorists attacked LEAs Posts inside Bara resulting in killing of 04 LEAs personnel and 02 Khassadars.
As a consequence terrorists also suffered heavy casualties. To avenge their deaths the terrorists ransacked the house of an FC soldier and killed five of his family members,” he said.
“To stage a drama, the terrorists threw these dead bodies including their own in areas of Bara and also orchestrated a demonstration in Peshawar. The issue is being exploited by vested interests groups,” he said.
He said the security forces take utmost care to protect the lives and property of the people of Bara and other parts of Khyber Agency and shall never indulge in killing of innocent civilians in any case.
LEAs are laying down their lives to deny space to terrorists and check their violent activities directed against innocent citizen.
The theme used by terrorists should therefore be seen in true prospective and local populace must avoid falling into trap of terrorists who want the security forces to leave Bara in order to hold sway over violence in Peshawar and raise financial stakes through narco mafia, smugglers and abductors, he concluded.
