25 October 2004	Monday	10 Ramazan 1425

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WANA, Oct 24: One person was killed and five others, four of them paramilitary soldiers, were injured in two explosions in the South Waziristan area on Saturday, sources and residents said.

They said that a man was killed and another received injuries when their vehicle hit a landmine in the Makin area of the Laddah sub-division in the morning.

The deceased has been identified as Khan Gul, brother of the president of the Mehsud peace committee, Ahmad Shah Mehsud. Mr Shah's son Bashir received serious injuries and he was taken to a local hospital. The vehicle was destroyed. Residents said the landmine had been planted outside the house of Mr Shah.

The political authorities recently nominated Mr Ahmad Shah Mehsud as president of the peace committee. These sources said the landmine had been planted by militants targeting the family of Mr Shah. They wanted to discourage him in his peace efforts.

In the other explosion, four soldiers of the Tall Scouts received injuries when a remote-controlled device hit their vehicle in the same area.

The injured were taken to a hospital in Razmak, but later they were shifted to Peshawar due to their precarious condition, officials said.

SEARCH: Meanwhile, army troops, scouts, Khasaddar force and elders of the Mehsud tribe continued house-to-house search operation in the besieged Spinkay Raghzay area on the second consecutive day on Sunday.

The search operation began at 10am and continued until 4pm, the residents and sources said and added that the locals did not show any resistance during the operation. However, no foreign or local militant was arrested.

Officials said the security forces had seized weapons and ammunition from the houses of Faqir Malik Shahi Mehsud and Aslam Khan Kurikhel Mehsud.

They seized 40 rockets, five anti-tank mines, eight hand-grenades, one missile and ammunition of different calibre weapons.

During the operation, the residents hoisted white flags on the rooftops of their mud-houses for showing that they are ordinary civilians and have no connection with the militants.

A jirga of the Mehsud tribe was held in Barwand area which endorsed the operation against the local and foreign militants in the South Waziristan.