Re: Suicide bomber in Pakistan’s Swat kills 3 troops
The army needs to become more flexible in it’s approach and needs to be proactive instead of sitting back and reacting after a delay.
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
Taliban consolidating in Malakand
- Nazim kidnapped for refusing to allow local youth to train with Taliban
By Akhtar Amin
PESHAWAR: The Taliban are strengthening their positions in Malakand Agency again and have abducted a union council nazim from the Palai area and beheaded two policemen in the past three days, residents told Daily Times.
“The Taliban are strengthening their position in some parts of Malakand. They beheaded two plainclothesmen who visited Palai three days ago,” said Muhammad Ayaz, a resident of the area. He said the **Taliban had also kidnapped Zormandai Union Council Nazim Sher Muhammad on Wednesday and were demanding Rs 5 million as ransom.
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Money or men: One of the nazim’s relatives, Amanullah, said the Taliban had initially demanded that Muhammad buy arms for them and allow 10-15 youths from the union council to train with them. He said that when the nazim refused to comply, the Taliban picked him up and were now demanding Rs 5 million as ransom.
Muhammad Fayyaz, another resident of Palai, said that government officials and policemen of the area had stopped visiting their houses for fear of being captured and beheaded by the Taliban. He claimed the Taliban had taken refuge in Palai due to the military operation in Swat and Buner districts.
Earlier, in May 2009, the Taliban blew up a checkpost in Palai, killing one Levies personnel and abducting three others.