Tribesmen killed 20 Taliban
militants
in
clashes
that
followed
a
botched
attempt
to
abduct
an
elder
in
Swat
in
the
NWFP
on
October
26,
reports
Daily
Times. Police said a group of pro-Mullah Fazlullah
Taliban
were
trying
to
hustle
Pir
Samiullah
–
chief
of
a
lashkar
(militia)
–
from
his
home
in
the
Mandaldag
area
of
Matta
tehsil (revenue division) to a getaway
car
when
dozens
of
local
tribesmen
confronted
them
and
snatched
him
back.
Dilawar
Bangash,
the
Swat
police
chief,
said
hundreds
of
Taliban
later
returned,
captured
three
members
of
the
militia
and
beheaded
one
of
them
on
a
road
before
a
large
crowd.
“This
is
a
lesson
for
anyone
who
tries
to
oppose
us,”
they
told
the
people
according
to
accounts
gathered
later
by
police.
Meanwhile, the lashkar was gathering men from the
surrounding
area
who
engaged
the
Taliban
in
an
hours-long
gun
battle.
Bangash
said
20
Taliban
militants,
six
militiamen
and
four
bystanders
were
killed
in
the
shooting
and
another
police
official
said
several
tribesmen
were
reported
missing.
Among
the
killed
Taliban
were
four
commanders,
including
Shamsher, a bomb making expert, and two close aides of Fazlullah.
Muslim
Khan,
a
Taliban
spokesman
contacted
by
telephone,
confirmed
a
clash
but
said
only
three
Taliban
militants
died.
He
claimed
that
12
tribesmen
were
killed
and
another
62
abducted.
Also, three civilians were killed as Taliban
militants
targeted
a
barbershop
in
the
Sambat
area
of
Swat.
In Totani Bandai,
Taliban
militants
attacked
a
military
check
post
injuring
a
soldier.
Further, 50 suspected Taliban militants were
arrested
in
Kooza
Bandai.
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