Tribesmen freed as unannounced ceasefire holds in S. Waziristan

Wednesday February 06, 2008 (0925 PST)

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PESHAWAR: Further steps were taken to strengthen the unannounced ceasefire between the military and the militants in South Waziristan Tuesday with the release of about a dozen tribesmen arrested by the troops from the Nadra office in Ladha town some weeks ago.

Tribal sources said the move raised hopes for the release of the four Frontier Corps personnel who were abducted by the Taliban militants led by Baitullah Mahsud prior to the arrest of the tribesmen from the Nadra office. The abduction of the paramilitary soldiers had triggered the latest round of fighting in the area populated by Mahsud tribe in South Waziristan.

Following the abduction of the four FC men, the troops based in the Ladha Fort retaliated by raiding the Nadra office in Ladha town and arresting 25 people, who included Nadra employees and mostly young tribesmen who had come there to make national identity cards for themselves. The government authorities, however, maintained that the arrested men were militants. They were all kept at the Ladha Fort, where about 243 FC soldiers were holed up defending the citadel from attacks by hundreds of Taliban fighters.

According to tribal sources, almost half of the 25 tribesmen were freed Tuesday while the remaining would be released today. If the militants go ahead and in return release the four FC personnel, this would take forward the ongoing reconciliation process and strengthen the unannounced and unofficial ceasefire between the militants and the military in South Waziristan. A jirga of tribal elders and clerics is mediating between the two sides and urging them to take confidence-building steps to facilitate reconciliation.

However, the government is maintaining that there was no ceasefire in South Waziristan. Maj Gen Athar Abbas, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said harsh weather conditions following snowfall had affected military operations.

The tribal sources said another confidence-building step that the militants were likely to take was to release the FC soldiers that they made hostage after capturing and destroying the Srarogha Fort. Of the 38 troops and five civilian employees at the fort, most were killed while some escaped. Several others were made prisoners.

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