Source (Tribune) Twenty-six security personnel were killed and four others injured in a cross-border attack in the Chitral region on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Saturday.

Check-posts in the Langorbut and Kavti areas of Arandhi and Ursun and Mir Khani in Drosht came under attack in an early morning raid when militants crossed over at 4:00am from Nuristan province in Afghanistan, officials said.

“Firing is still continuing in the area and it is feared that casualties might rise,” said an official.

There were unconfirmed reports of people missing, but officials said the situation was still unclear and there was limited communication because of the geographical location of the area.

Local sources said there were reports of militant activity in the border region after intense fighting in Nuristan.

Last year, an Afghan official claimed that Maulana Fazlullah, runaway chief of Swat Taliban, had been killed in a clash between security forces and militants in the Barg Mittal area of Nuristan.

The government has eyed the Afghan border with much suspicion and blames the Afghan government of not taking action against militants in the border areas. It is believed that militants who escaped the military operation in FATA and Malakand took refuge in Kunar and Nuristan in Afghanistan.

Militants from across the border have consistently attacked check-posts and raided villages in Dir, Bajaur and Mohmand from April to July this year.

www.mychitral.com website is coming soon

Source (paktribune) At least 40 soldiers of Chitral Scouts were killed and many others wounded when militants from Afghanistan attacked border checkpoints in northern Chitral district Saturday, our sources reported.

According to local sources, a large number of militants launched pre-dawn attacks on several posts with rockets and heavy weapons.

Several rockets landed on the camps of Chitral Scouts and killed three soldiers initially, a toll which later rose to 40. Several others were injured.

Pakistani forces retaliated and inflicted heavy casualties on the militants, reports said.

According to local sources the Taliban attacked Pak-Afghan border checkpoints including Arson, Dameel Nisar, Bodebar and Mirkani.

Militants have blocked Arando Road near the Pakistani border area of Bodebar which is making retaliation difficult for Scout forces, sources added.

Chitral borders Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province.

Source (APP) Gilgit avenged Chitral in front of hundreds and  thousands cheering spectator in a thrill-packed final played at an altitude of almost 4000 meters above sea level, the highest and famous polo ground of the world, situated at Shandur Pass.Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan, Syed Medi Shah was the chief guest on  this occasion.Beside him, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Minister, Syed Aqil Shah, Khyber-Pakhtoonkhawa Population Minister Salim Khan,  DCO Chitral Rehmat Ullah Wazir, representative of the Commandant Chitral Scouts and President Chitral Polo Association Sikandar Ul Mulak with other dignitaries of the provincial and federal government and large number of game enthusiast, local and foreign tourists were also present.Last year Gilgit team did not turned up for the show but this time the team was in tremendous form, showing their superiority in all departments.

A three-day-long Shandur Polo Festival will be held from first week of july. This Polo Festival is organized at the highest polo ground of the world known as “Shandur”. It is expected that many local and foreign tourists will attend the festival. The festival will be full of Gilgit and Chitral cultural and regional activities. Besides polo matches, there will also take place the events of Tug of War, Paragliding and Musical Chairs.

Talking to APP the Official said that stern security measures have already been put in place in view to thwart any untoward incident. The government of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa has invited the newly-wed British Royal couple to the famous Shandur Polo tournament. The chief minister of the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province, Haider Hoti has officially confirmed the invitation to Prince William and Princess Kate to watch final of Shandur Polo tournament in Chitral on July 9th. Shandur Polo Tournament is an annual festival held every July at the Shandur Pass in the northern areas of Pakistan where rival teams from Chitral and Gilgit play.

The tournament is held on Shandur Pass, the highest polo ground in the world at just under 4000 meters where the Hindukush, Pamir and Karakoram ranges meet. The Shandur pass is about 3738 meter above sea level lies midway between Chitral and Gilgit. The colorful festival also includes folk music and dancing and used to attract large number of foreigners in the past when militancy comparatively low in Pakistan. History of Shandur festival The polo tournament, played on Shandur Top, known as “playing on rooftop of the world”, had been a regular feature since centuries in the area.

The area has hosted this game since the past 800 years and history has it that in 1920s, King of the area has started the famous tournament for promotion of integration between different areas under his realm. He ordered the ruler of Moskuj (the Hindukush highland between Chitral and Gilgit), hold the polo tournament between the best players for the purpose. In the past the local Mehtars , Mirs and Rajas (administrators, or rulers of states) were patrons of polo.

Source (Dawn) An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale shook northern parts of Pakistan on Wednesday morning at 9:36 am.

According to the Meteorological Department the quake had its epicenter 100 kilometers from Gilgit, at a depth of 13.9 kilometers, a private television channel reported.

Tremors were felt in Gilgit, Mansehra, Balakot and Chitral.

People left their homes in panic though there were no reports of damage or casualties, officials said.