WANA: Security forces on Thursday closed the Wana-Tank Road for all kinds of traffic while the local Taliban took positions atop mountains soon after the road closure.

Sources said that security forces closed the main road leading to Wana, headquarters of South Waziristan Agency, putting barricades at five different locations, Sarwakai, Splatoi, Jandola, Kor and Manzay areas.

The closure has left many Mehsud families, travelling from Tank and Dera Ismail Khan to their respective areas, stranded. The sizzling heat has multiplied their miseries as the Jandola-Makeen and Jandola-Kanigram, the other two roads leading to South Waziristan have already been closed for traffic since 16 January.

Apart from the trapped families and ordinary tribesmen, students would also suffer from the closure as practical examination matric commences from today (Friday), while the intermediate examination is scheduled to start from May 13.

A Jirga of Mehsud tribal elders informed the Assistant Political Agent (APA), Khaista Rahman of the concern of the Mehsud tribe over the road closure and asked him to convey the concern to higher authorities.

The APA informed Political Agent, Fazal Rabbi in a detailed report about the happenings, but the road was not opened till the filing this report.The incident has aggravated the situation and following the heavily armed local Taliban taking positions atop mountains, a tense calm prevailed in the restive South Waziristan Agency throughout the day.