Mohmand Taliban media

Mohmand Agency Taliban have claimed responsibility for an IED blast which hit a Pakistan army convoy in the Pandiali region of Mohmand agency yesterday morning, killing 6 soldiers and wounding others. They also accepted responsibility for a further blast which hit the house of local Sahwa commander, Alam Sher, member of a peace committee in Wacha Jawara area of Utmanzai in Pindiali. Attacks were said to be in retaliation for air strikes on Waziristan to avenge the assasination of Tribal Muslims, “a few drops of blood will be taken back.”

Confusion continues to reign over who exactly was killed in North Waziristan air strikes by Pakistan jets and helicopter gunships. Calls from youth organisations for Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) to name all those who perished have not been answered. Some journalists wrote that the government were not consulted in this recent attack while others state strikes were with the approval of Nawaz Sharif government. There appears to be no accountability to the public.

Photos allegedly of bombed areas in Mir Ali, depict homes and shops reduced to rubble, one (below) shows person sat, head in hands, bags by their side in what is left of the market.

Mir Ali, photos alleged to show the aftermath of strikes on houses and market

23rd May 2014

Dawn media highlighted the alleged deaths of 5 Taliban commanders in the following statement,

“sources have confirmed that five key militant commanders were killed in airstrikes launched on Wednesday in North Waziristan.

Among those killed was also an Uzbek Commander named Abu Ahmad.

Sources said other local terrorists who were killed included ‘Commander Qanooni’ and 

Sabir, said to be a handler of suicide-bombers.

Others included Commander Gilamand and Commander Jihad Yaar, the sources added”

http://www.dawn.com/news/1108359/north-waziristan-offensive-not-full-scale-operation

Taliban commanders disputed the deaths, claiming it was ordinary civilians that took the brunt of the strikes.

Within a short time of posting this article, I was sent a video of Commander Jangrez (well armed along with two others) refuting media propaganda of him being killed. He was previously declared dead on April 13th 2014 by Pakistan Tribune. False announcement of Taliban deaths seems to be a regular occurance so few know what to believe. Journalists attempting to establish facts are often threatened and females subjected to crude sexual insults from some pro-army supporters in an attempt to intimidate.

Pakistan Tehreek -e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Imran Khan who released a statement condemning attacks, continued to express his concerns to Twitter followers,

“governments callousness over fate of civilians in North Waziristan is shocking with no evacuation of civilians before aerial bombings & helicopter gunship attacks. Civilians getting killed in NWA or fleeing & becoming IDPs – from zakat givers to paupers- as present  2 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) neglected by government and in bad state”

In one video from North Waziristan, a resident says if this continues they will migrate to Afghanistan and will have nothing to do with Pakistan.

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology students, Abbottabad, called the military operation by Pakistan Army in North Waziristan ‘Genocide’.

Protesters showed their anger towards military displaying posters stating, “shame, shame, NaPak army is bleeding Waziristan, shame” whilst another read, “the fire you set to FATA will engulf your house too.”

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.