Commanders among Afghan Taliban killed in Dir

By Haleem Asad

TIMERGARA, July 7: Twelve Afghan Taliban killed in an encounter with Dir Scouts on Wednesday in Upper Dir included two important Taliban commanders, according to the commander of Dir Scouts.

Col Kamran disclosed this to the journalists who were shown the bodies of the Afghan raiders in Dir Scouts Fort in Timergara on Thursday.

Two of the Afghan dead were buried the same day by Tehsil Municipal Administration on Thursday.

Col Kamran said that 150 militants from across the border had besieged some 25 villagers in a mosque on Wednesday at Nusrat Dara in Dir Upper when they were offering morning prayers.

He said that villagers and security forces responded to the attack vigorously. He said that 12 attackers, most of them Afghans, had been killed in retaliatory firing.

The FC commandant said that two important Taliban commanders were also among the dead. Two bodies were shown to media at Dir Scouts Fort Timergara. The bodies were later buried by TMA officials in a local graveyard.

Col Kamran said that a cellular phone set and a letter written in Pashto were recovered from one of the killed militant. He said that the phone set contained video clips of some Taliban commanders and important numbers.

The official said that after besieging villagers at Nusrat Dara, militants formed four groups and attacked different villages in Barawal area. However, locals repulsed the attacks, he said, adding militants wanted to attack a security checkpost at Nusrat Dara but prior information worked and location of the post was changed.

“Therefore we suffered no casualties,” he claimed, adding that five villagers were injured in the attack and one of them later succumbed to his injuries. He said that attackers torched two schools and a mosque in Nusrat Dara and destroyed another school in Soro Kallay of Barawal area. The commandant said that militants also fired five rockets and three mortar shells at a security post at Bin Shahi but there was no report of casualty.

The situation in the border area was under control as the attack was repulsed, he added. He appreciated the role of villagers.