Five troops hurt as militants attack Chitral posts

Via The News - CHITRAL/PESHAWAR: Five Pakistan Army soldiers were injured when militants attacked their posts in the Ursoon area along the Pak-Afghan border, official sources said.

Sources said dozens of Pakistani Taliban presently based in the Nuristan province of Afghanistan crossed the border and attacked security posts manned by Pakistan Army soldiers at Ursoon area in Drosh tehsil about 70 kilometers west of Chitral city early in the day. Sources said the soldiers fought back and forced the militants to retreat, adding that the militants suffered losses and took away the bodies and injured persons along as the fled.

Five soldiers were also injured in clashes with militants, they added. The injured soldiers were identified as Farman Ali, Shahbaz Khan, Yousaf Khan, Talib Khan and Noor Alam. Pakistan deployed its regular army troops along the border with Afghanistan in Bajaur Agency and Lower Dir and Chitral districts a few months back after Pakistani militants based in Afghanistan crossed the border and staged massive attacks killing several members of the paramilitary Frontier Corps, Frontier Constabulary and police personnel as well as villagers.

Around 300 Pakistani Taliban fighters in September attacked some border posts of the Pakistani security personnel and killed more than 40 personnel. The porous border was then manned by poorly armed Frontier Constabulary and police.

Meanwhile, the Swat Taliban led by Maulana Fazlullah claimed responsibility for the attacks on Pakistani security forces at Ursoon area in Chitral. Their spokesman, Sirajuddin, who is also a senior Talibancommander, phoned The News from somewhere in Afghanistan and claimed responsibility for the latest attacks. He said the attacks were conducted to prove that Pakistani Taliban were still capable of crossing the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan and carrying out attacks.

“The outgoing Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Asif Yasin Malik in his speech in Swat a few days back had stated that Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan has been sealed and militants would no more be able to carry out cross-border attacks. We staged attacks on three security posts in Chitral to prove that we can do so whenever and wherever we want,” Sirajuddin stated.

He claimed heavy clashes took place between Taliban militants and Pakistani security forces in which three security posts were destroyed. The spokesman said he had no information about losses suffered by the soldiers at the posts. Still he claimed a number of soldiers were killed and injured in the clashes with the militants. From one post, he claimed troops escaped and left their arms behind, which were now in possession of the Taliban. There was no independent confirmation of the claim by the TTP leader.

Posted in: Chitral