Pakistan Security Brief - June 19, 2014

Pakistan Army snipers kill eight Uzbek militants, military helicopters kills 15 more militants in North Waziristan; Pakistani government condemns U.S. June 18  drone strike in North Waziristan; Evacuation process begins for residents of Miram Shah and Ghulam Khan; Residents from North Waziristan flee to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Khost and Paktika in Afghanistan; Balochistan government deploys Frontier Corps troops to South Waziristan border to control over influx of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from North Waziristan; Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government not to seek relief access from donor agencies; 70,000 IDPs enter Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa; Security forces take control of Mamund sub-district, Bajaur Agency; Suicide bomber kills one and injures five in Matani; Son of FATA senator shot dead in Tank district.

North Waziristan Offensive

• On June 19, the Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Public Relations reported that army snipers had killed eight Uzbek militants who were planting Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the road between Miram Shah and Mir Ali in North Waziristan.[1]
• Pakistani military helicopter killed fifteen militants in the Zartatangi mountain heights, east of Miram Shah, North Waziristan on the night of June 18.[2]
• The Pakistani government condemned the June 18 U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan.[3]

Internally Displaced Persons

• On June 19, the government began an evacuation process for civilians in Miram Shah and Ghulam Khan, North Waziristan. Security forces established check points where civilians may receive aid as they leave North Waziristan. The number of registration points at Saidgai post has increased to ten for men and ten for women in order to ensure a more efficient process.[4]
• The News reported on June 19 that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are fearful about staying at IDP camps after a June 11 attack on the Muhammad Khwaja Togh Serai camp in Hangu district. North Waziristan Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadur has previously warned locals against taking refuge in government-run camps.[5]
• By June 19, 1,079 refugee families had been registered in relief camps in Khost province, Afghanistan. The Khost province refugee camps are located in Gulan Dashta area of Gurbaz district. Thousands of refugee families have entered Paktika province and are staying in Sarobi, Barmal, and Orgun districts.[6]
• On June 19, Arshad Khan of the FATA Disaster Management Authority reported that 79,000 people had fled North Waziristan Agency so far.[7]
• On June 19, the Balochistan government deployed an increased number of Frontier Corps troops in areas bordering South Waziristan in order to assert control over the number of IDPs entering the province.[8]
• In a June 18 meeting of the Sindh cabinet, officials decided to request the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) assistance to register IDPs entering Sindh from North Waziristan. Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pervez Khattak announced that KP will not seek relief assistance from donor agencies. By June 18, 70,000 IDPs had reportedly entered Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[9]

Domestic

• On June 19, Twitter decided to restore access to the tweets and accounts it had previously blocked access to from within Pakistan. On May 18, Twitter restricted access to comply with blasphemy laws but has restored access” in the absence of additional clarifying information from Pakistani authorities.”[10]
• On June 19, unidentified men attacked the Torkham border crossing on the Pak-Afghan border frequented by NATO supply trucks. The men destroyed several vehicles. The crossing was subsequently closed and security was increased.[11] 
• On June 19, Security forces took control of Mamund sub district in Bajaur Agency. Local tribesmen said they will work with the security forces to establish peace.[12]
• On June 18, a suicide bomber killed one person and injured five in Matani when he blew himself up in the guest room of Adezai anti- Taliban militia commander Farman Khan’s home. .[13]
• One of FATA Senator, Saleh Shah’s sons was shot dead by an unknown gunman on the Wana road in Tank district heading towards South Waziristan.[14]