More than a thousand armed tribesman seeking revenge for a mosque attack surrounded two Taliban strongholds and destroyed the homes of Taliban fighters – including some commanders – in Pakistan’s northwest. According to AP, as many as 1,600 tribesmen have joined a citizens’ militia in Upper Dir district – an indication of rising anti-Taliban sentiment in Pakistan as the military pursues its offensive against the militant group in the nearby Swat Valley.

Khaista Rehman, a local police chief said: “The militias, known as lashkars, were focusing on two villages known as Taliban strongholds.”