Militants eager to launch suicide attack on military targets
ISLAMABAD (November 15 2007): Militants loyal to Swat-based Taliban commander Maulvi Fazlullah are eager to launch suicide bombing on military targets, a spokesperson for the hardline cleric threatened on Wednesday as army prepared for a final ground offensive to wipe them out.
“We have suicide bombers. They are many and they are young diehards (of Fazlullah), women and even children,” Maulana Sirajuddin, a close aide of Fazlullah, told Business Recorder on telephone from an unidentified location in the scenic valley of NWFP district.
The threat came within 24 hours of regular troops overtook their paramilitary counterparts (Frontier Constabulary and Malakand Levis) to fight surging militancy in and around Swat region. Fazlullah’s friend reposed confidence that their militants were quit capable of fighting such a huge number of military because their expertise lie in guerilla warfare, a trade Pakistan Army has never been into.
“The more they (troops) are (in number), the more we are at liberty to choose and hit our targets,” he said. But he sharply refuted official claims that battle-hardened al Qaeda fighters had joined them from either Afghanistan or Waziristan.
“Our fighters are local. None of them is from any other nationality,” the commander added. Locals were of different views, however, they sounded sure that not the game was out of Fazlullah’s hand and actually either Uzbek or Arab militants were leading the rebellion.
Officials in Islamabad and Peshawar already said that credible intelligence had suggested the presence of al Qaeda in the region. A local journalist based in Mangora told this reporter that some 10,000 soldiers had been transported to a Golf course in the Kabal area close to towns controlled by militants.
Authorities declared curfew from Tuesday evening to make sure a safe journey for troops to the area through Mardan and Malakand areas. It was lifted on Wednesday noon. This correspondent (the last non-local journalist who visited the area ahead of the curfew was imposed) saw several vehicles carrying troops and driving towards the troubled region on Tuesday evening.
“If need arises, me and Fazlullah himself will put the (suicide) jackets on to kill soldiers,” Sirajuddin said. In a bid to justify what they were preparing for, he said: “Why the eyes of the government are closed. Everyday innocent people are fired at. They are bombed.”
Two labourers in main Mangora market and a minor girl in Shakardara area near the Fazlullah’s stronghold Imam Dheri village were killed when troops patrolling the area opened fire at them for defying the curfew.
“Why all this is not visible to you?” his voice thundered furiously as he attempted to explain why militants were killing troops. “And after all,” he said: “We aren’t on the attack. Rather under attack.”
“Army has come to kill us. We don’t go (to slaughter them). We possess the right to defend ourselves. It’s our right under Sharia,” he said. Sirajuddin didn’t hesitate at all when he defended beheading of troops by his militants.
“I have already explained it. When the government launched a sharp attack, severe bombardment, so wherever angry people (militants) saw officials they cut their heads. Those who were less angry just kill them and guys with cool minds capture them alive,” he came out with a justification for what is being thought the most notorious act on part of Islamists in tribal area bordering Afghanistan.
Sirajuddin claimed more than 80 percent inhabitants of Swat district and Malakand region were supporting their cause of having Sharia rule in the area.
But locals didn’t confirm the claim. They said there were definitely many who wanted Sharia. But those who support the way militants wanted to achieve the objective were less than five percent.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:11/15/2007
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