Pakistan: Residents of Tirah valley asked to vacate homes after attack on security forces

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], September 8 : Security officials in Pakistan's Tirah valley have ordered the residents of Sandana, Dray Naghari and Sanda Pal localities to leave their houses, in anticipation of a small-scale military operation against militants after the recent attack on security personnel.
Earlier, a meeting was held on Wednesday morning between the security officials and the residents of the Sandana area after personnel deputed in the area were attacked, Dawn reported citing sources.
The sources further said that the Sipah tribesmen, who inhabit the area, were given a choice either to hand over the suspects or vacate their houses.
During the search operation, at least nine suspects were arrested from Sandana and Nangrosa localities, where Sipah tribesmen inhabited.
Dawn from local sources learnt that a number of families, who recently returned to the Dray Naghari area, had once again started vacating their houses after receiving instructions from security forces.
The return of Sipah displaced families to Dray Naghari and Sanda Pal was temporarily suspended some three weeks ago after some of the returning persons reported to the security officials that armed militants were present in their area.
At least two soldiers were injured in separate attacks by suspected militants. At the same time, a vehicle of the forces was also targeted with an improvised explosive device in the valley, Dawn reported citing sources in the Maidan area of Tirah.
On June 13, over 5,000 Sipah displaced families start coming back to their respective localities on June 13, 10 years after they were displaced. Sipah tribesmen were the last of seven Bara tribes allowed to return home after a nod from the security officials.
After the Sipah displaced families returned to their localities, the district administration and departments identified that there is an unavailability of proper accommodation, health facilities, food, and safe drinking water and infrastructure for them.
In a report submitted to the provincial chief secretary on the instructions of the Peshawar commissioner, heads of the departments and district administration insisted that the majority of returning families were without any proper shelter as their houses suffered damage during the occupation of the region by militants or due to harsh weather afterwards, reported Dawn.
It suggested speedy work on the Citizens Losses Compensation Programme in a transparent manner to enable those families to rebuild their damaged houses before the start of the winter season.
The report also called for an increase in the number of survey teams for the early completion of damages assessment to pay compensation to the affected families, according to Dawn.