Daily Times

CHITRAL: A group of about 30 armed men, believed to be Afghanistan-based militants, slit the throats of two Kalasha shepherds in Bumburet valley and drove a herd of some 300 sheep to the neighbouring country, official sources said on Friday. They said the gunmen from Nooristan province of Afghanistan attacked the shepherds when they were busy grazing their sheep in Ghari area in Bamburet Valley.

The victims were identified as Noor Ahmed, son of Krisha Moch, and Khushuli, son of Khushukhat, residents of Karakal and Bamburet respectively. The shepherds too were armed and opened fire on the attackers, according to the local sources. The exchange of fire took place for a long time; however, the shepherds ran out of ammunition and the attacking militants overpowered them.

They maintained that the heavily armed militants took the shepherds hostage and herded the sheep to Afghanistan’s Nooristan province. Later, the villagers found the bodies of the shepherds with their throats slit near the Pak-Afghan boundary. Following the incident, law enforcement personnel including the police and Chitral Levies carried out a search operation in the area.

According to the villagers, the incident took place some two kilometres away from the security forces check post on the border. The incident stirred panic among the Kalash minority of Chitral, who accused the local population of assisting the militants against them (Kalash minority) and called these target killings. They added that some two days back the group of armed men was spotted near the border areas.

Saifullah, an elder of the Kalasha people said the attack was frightful, adding that his community was targeted amid strict security and in the presence of law-enforcement personnel in the area. “We heard the fire shots and were trying to rush to help the shepherds but the security forces personnel did not allow us.”

Imran Kabir Kalash, a district council, lashed out at the security forces for their indifference towards the people of the Kalasha minority. Questioning the performance of the security forces he asked what measures they had taken to protect the Kalasha minority so far. This was not the first incident of its kind. Some three years ago, unidentified armed men had killed a shepherd and looted 200 sheep. The people of the area said they would decide a plan of action for the future after the final rituals of the two slain shepherds.