United States Attacks Hangu - Drones Hit An Islamic School In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

By Sikander Hayat 

Hangu has been attacked today by US drones killing 3 teachers & 5 students. This is the second such attack after Pakistan government announced the plan for a peace process with TTP (Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan). Hangu is a  town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan and is the principal city of the district of Hangu. Pashto is the main language spoken in Hangu, although a minority speaks Punjabi (in the Majhi, Saraiki and Hindko dialects). As the national language, Urdu is also spoken.

With America impending agreement in Afghanistan to have permanent bases for another 10 years at least and may be for the foreseeable future, it is now increasingly attacking the factions fighting US forces in Afghanistan to eliminate threat to its presence in Afghanistan. Naseer Uddin Haqqani was killed in Islamabad by agents belonging to foreign agencies and now reported another Haqqani was the target of today’s attack.
Hangu was a peaceful District until 2006, when the Taliban started strengthening their positions in the Tribal areas and Hangu city. The Taliban faced hard resistance from the local Shia community, especially in the main city. Hundreds of people were killed from both sides in these bloody clashes.

On 22 August 2008, sixteen militants (including two Chechens) were killed by Pakistani security forces in a skirmish at Hangu when security forces opened fire on their explosive-laden vehicle at a security checkpoint. One of the militants was arrested. One policeman and a member of the security forces were injured in the explosion. It was later discovered that the militants came from Darra Adamkhel, a town between Peshawar and Kohat with a thriving arms industry.
On 10 December 2010 a suicide bomber killed eleven people (including two policemen, a woman and a child) and injured another twenty-two. The attack occurred near Al-Zahra hospital which was under construction.

On 27 May 2011, 28 people were killed and another 55 injured when a suicide bomber exploded his vehicle at a checkpoint in the Hangu bazaar. Among the victims were four policemen. The explosion inflicted heavy damage to the offices of the Hangu police chief and special branch, the city police station, seventeen shops, three restaurants and a branch of the National Bank. The press was contacted by a Taliban spokesman claiming responsibility for the attack.
On Thursday, 23 August 2012 militants opened fire on a police van, killing three officers and injuring another two. It was suspected that the Taliban was behind the attack.

What happens in Hangu and other parts of Pakistan will depend on the outcome of US presence in Afghanistan and its fallout in the form of Pakistani Taliban in Pakistan. Continued US presence will keep providing the reason for the Taliban to keep fighting and there will be no shortage of recruits for that purpose.

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3.Is It Possible To Resolve Conflict Between Pakistan & Afghanistan?

4. What Is The Future Of Afghanistan Pakistan Relations?

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