October 10, 2006	Tuesday	Ramazan 16, 1427

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LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), Oct 9: The Lashkar-i-Islam has restarted its activities in Bara by holding public meetings at a number of places and kidnapping one of its opponents from the main bazaar on Sunday.

Armed Lashkar men beat up Ansaarul Islam activist Zahir Shah in the main Bara bazaar and kidnapped him at gunpoint. Mr Shah is the brother of outlaw Naseeb Khan who was killed in a gunbattle with Lashkar men in March this year.

The Lashkar-i-Islam’s self-proclaimed amir, Mangal Bagh, has returned from Tirah where he was locked in a bloody gunbattle with his opponent from Ansaarul Islam.

The clashes have so far claimed the lives of at least three dozen people over the past three months.

Mangal Bagh has also reportedly started broadcasts of his illegal FM radio station which this time has been mounted at a moblie van.

The Lashkar-i-Islam chief and his supporters were ousted from Bara in March after law-enforcement agencies destroyed his FM radio station and later closed down its centre in Nala Malikdinkhel.

Lashkar activists on Monday organised a public meeting at Pakka Tarha in Bar Qambar Khel which was addressed by Mangal Bagh, Haji Namdar and two members of agency council, Jan Gul and Shaukat Khan.

Speaking on the occasion, Mangal Bagh said that he would not spare his opponents and pledged to wage jihad against anti-social elements in Bara.

He accused the political administration of patronising outlaws and providing assistance to the Lashkar opponents.

Meanwhile, at least three persons were injured when their houses ware hit by mortar shells near the venue of the public meeting. Two houses were also partially damaged.

Mangal Bagh accused the supporters of Pir Saifur Rehman of the attack and alleged that the shells were in fact aimed at the public meeting.

All government and private schools were closed in Bar Qambarkhel area for fear of a clash between the two groups.