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30 arrested on 5th day of Bara operation

* Arrested militant suspects include 10 Mangal Bagh loyalists who were trying to transport weapons to Tirah Valley

BARA: Paramilitary forces arrested 30 more people on the fifth day of the ongoing security operation in the Khyber Agency on Wednesday, bringing the total number of people arrested in the largely bloodless operation to 52.

Quoting a government statement, AFP reported that the operation “continued successfully” on Wednesday. “So far no untoward incident has been reported. Security forces have arrested 52 militants — 22 on Tuesday and 30 on Wednesday — while three of their vehicles were seized along with a motorbike,” the statement said.d.

However, around 100 college students from Bara staged a rally in Peshawar on Wednesday condemning the operation, officials and witnesses said. They said the offensive was launched at the behest of the United States and called for it to be stopped immediately because it was causing food shortages.

Bagh supporters: According to AP, the arrested included 10 suspected supporters of local militant chief Mangal Bagh, and confiscated weapons from their pickup truck. A senior officer, seeking anonymity, said the men were detained as they attempted to transport the weapons to Tirah Valley.

In Bara, the bazaar was empty due to a curfew, AP reported. However, 20 people were arrested on Wednesday for violating the curfew.

According to a recent order issued by a magistrate, security forces have the right to shoot curfew violators on sight. qazi rauf/agencies

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