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‘Pakistani agents reached Damadola soon after attack’

Staff Report

DAMADOLA: Pakistani intelligence agents were at Damadola village, Bajaur Agency, soon after the US air strike and “collected some evidence” to prove the presence of foreigners at one of the destroyed homes, a relative of one of the dead tribesmen said on Friday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said that through a “tribal source” in Damadola ‘foreigners’ had been invited to be the guests of wanted local militant Maulana Faqir Muhammad.

“Soon after the air strike, several Pakistani security agents based in Khar, Bajaur Agency’s regional headquarters, disguised themselves as visitors and visited the site to collect evidence about the presence of No 2 Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zahawri,” the relative claimed.

However, there was no independent confirmation of the claim. He said, “There were some foreign guests at the dinner. I saw some of them, but could not recognise any of them as al-Zawahri. They were graceful-looking foreigners.”

Meanwhile, Shah Zaman, the relative of dead tribesman Bakhtfoor, whose 11 family members were killed in the air strike, said 13 civilians including five children had been killed.

“A total of 13 people were killed and not 18 as reported in the media,” he told Daily Times. He said three people – 40-year-old Bashir, 12-year-old Asya and eight-year-old Subhana – were wounded.

About the presence of empty graves, he said that in the beginning nobody knew how many people were killed. “Nobody was in his or her senses since the shock was so intense. Several family members, presumed to be dead in the attack, were found alive hours after the air strike, Shah Zaman added.

Reports about four foreigners being killed in the attack were a “lame excuse” to justify the air strike, he said, adding, “No foreigner was present nor was killed. Where is the evidence?”

Shah Zaman said military officials condoled with the victims’ families on Thursday and offered “money as compensation”. He gave no further details.

“Nobody was removed or taken away from the area,” he added.

“What is the use of living in a country where your government can’t protect you from foreign aggression,” Muhammad Rahim, whose two children were killed in the attack, told Daily Times.

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