LANDI KOTAL, Oct 10: About 675 displaced families, including 57 from Zakhakhel tribe, left for Tirah valley in Khyber Agency on Thursday.

Officials said that the total number of returning families exceeded 5,700.

They said that Zakhakhel was the last of five tribes that started returning to Bagh-Maidan area in Tirah from Jarma transit point near Kohat.

Officials said that the largest number of displaced families started returning to Tirah on Thursday since September 15 when the return of IDPs was started under the auspices of Fata Disaster Management Authority in collaboration with the administration of Khyber Agency.

According to Fata Disaster Management Authority, 171 Bar Qambarkhel families left Durrani camp in Kurram Agency and 228 left Jarma transit point in Kohat for their homes in BaghMaidan area of Tirah valley. Officials said that 447 unregistered families whose ration cards were earlier blocked by Nadra were also allowed to get their voluntary registration forms (VRFs) and boarded the pick-up trucks to proceed towards their destination. They said that so far 5,707 families comprising 24,888 individuals returned to Bagh-Maidan. The return process was started on September 15 with initial goal of sending 500 families on daily basis. However, the process was hampered by differences among tribal elders, inclement weather, bad condition of road, non-availability of appropriate transport and IDPs ignorance about the return process.

FDMA officials said that the return process gained momentum as most of the IDPs wanted to go home before Eidul Azha.

They said that keeping in view the enthusiasm of the returning families, they might extend the October 15 deadline, fixed for completion of first phase of the return process. The second phase will be started in March next year. A total of 17,000 families would be rehabilitated in two phases.

The Zakhakhel tribesmen were earlier concerned about their security, saying some of their areas were still under the control of a militant group.

But they were assured full security during a meeting with Bara assistant political agent on Wednesday at Khyber House in Peshawar.

Zakhakhel is one of the five tribes, which were displaced from Bagh-Maidan in Tirah after Taliban captured the area in March. The other four tribes are Bar Qambarkhel, Malikdinkhel, Adamkhel and Shalobar.