Taliban pushed out of Swat make ‘Kala Dhaka’ their new terror base

PESHAWAR - The Taliban extremists, who fled the military operation in the Swat Valley and other areas of the Malakand district, have made Kala Dhaka as their new base.

Security officials are finding it hard to establish complete control over the region, and attacks on a non-government organisation’s office, and two police stations in Mansehra and Balakot during the past two months indicates that the extremists are still thriving in these areas.

North West Frontier Province (NWFP) police chief Malik Naveed, while expressing concern over the new Taliban base, said it is a cause of worry as Kala Dhaka is a strategically important area from where the Taliban could launch attacks on districts such as Mansehra, Abbottabad and Balakot.

“A lot of Swat Taliban people have gone to Kala Dhaka where a jirga is not effective and neither the Levies Force has been deputed to check these people. It is creating problems for us,” The Daily Times quoted Naveed, as saying.

When asked that whether there would be a military offensive Kala Dhaka too, he said : “The military is contemplating…”

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has assured the people of Kala Dhaka that they would not be affected if the army decides to take action against militants based in the region.

Addressing the National Assembly, Malik said the operation would be aimed at eliminating criminals, proclaimed offenders and terrorists who have taken refuge in Kala Dhaka after being pushed out from Swat and Waziristan.

He assured the House that the government would ensure the safety of civilians during the offensive. (ANI)