ON Thursday a suicide bomber attacked yet another tribal jirga, killing at least 23 and injuring 45 others in Bajaur Agency. Last month, a similar attack on an Orakzai jirga had claimed the lives of 45. In both cases, the terrorist outfits who resent the role assumed by the tribal elders, were behind the attacks. The Pakistani Taliban have emerged as a lethal force in a number of tribal areas, where they have taken over authority and power from the traditional elders, and set up what for all intents and purposes is a state within the state. They have their own militia, courts, and administrative machinery. In August, the Frontier Corps was dispatched to Bajaur to establish the writ of the state. What surprised the military authorities was, not only the tough resistance offered by the militants, but also the modern weapons at their disposal, a steady source of supply and a sophisticated command and control system. This led some to conclude that the militants enjoyed foreign backing. The clashes between the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and Pakistani security forces, having caused large scale devastation and the uprooting of thousands of families, led the tribal elders to step in to establish peace. Finding that the militants could not be defeated by military force alone, the government also encouraged the elders to do whatever was needed to establish the writ of the state. This has paid off in parts of the Agencies, that include Bajaur and Orakzai. There were of late reports of negotiations between the tribal elders who had mobilized lashkars and the Taliban leadership. Hopes were being expressed that the ongoing talks would lead to the surrender of arms by the Taliban and a gradual withdrawal of the Army from the area. The suicide attack has been claimed by a splinter group of the TTP. Apparently, those who masterminded the attack were unhappy over the attempt by the tribal elders to reassert their authority. As had happened in Swat, understanding reached with one militant group led another to sabotage it. One can only hope this time it does not cause a hiatus in the efforts aimed at peace. Many in Pakistan would like the Army to leave the tribal areas at the earliest, as military operations continuing over a long period cause alienation among the population. The task of establishing the writ of the state should be left to the tribal elders who are conversant with the traditional methods of conflict resolution. The elders should be provided support through better-trained and equipped tribal militias. If there are still any outsiders in the tribal belt as claimed by CENTCOM chief Gen Petraeus, they can be expelled by the traditional lashkars supported by the militias. The Americans must not be allowed to conduct operations in the tribal areas. Attacks by the US drones are a continuous source of provocation in FATA.