April 20, 2007	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 02, 1428

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LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), April 19: The Bara political administration dynamited on Thursday a centre of the Lashkar-i-Islam in Kohi-Malikdin Khel after the expiry of a one-day deadline.

The authorities earlier issued notices to elders of Malikdin Khel for vacating the Kohi centre. A large number of Khasadar and Mehsud Scouts were deployed in the area. A huge quantity of explosives was used to demolish the centre, an alleged private jail of the Lashkar-i-Islam.

A number of adjacent shops were also demolished.

Bara assistant political agent Attaur Rehman Aurakzai told Dawn that the action was taken after Lashkar supporters violated an agreement with the administration by indulging in unlawful activities.

He said the centre was being used by the Lashkar-i-Islam against its opponents.

Mr Aurakzai said such actions would continue in future if the Lashkar activists did not stop their unlawful activities.

He, however, said the Lashkar’s drive against anti-social elements would be appreciated and his administration would extend its cooperation in this regards.

The Malikdin Khel elders criticised the demolition of the centre and claimed that the center was never used for criminal activities.

A local elder deplored that a number of shops belonging to innocent people had also been demolished, thus depriving them of their only source of income.

Earlier, two personnel of the Mehsud Scouts sustained injuries when a rocket exploded incidentally.

The incident took place yards away from the centre before it was dynamited. They were shifted to a local hospital.

KHASADAR KILLED: A Khasadar was killed when a pick-up overturned near the Teddi bazaar in Jamrud on Thursday. Bazarg Gul was part of a Khasadar team which was dispatched to Karamna-Zakhakhel to look for three missing Nespak engineers who were kidnapped from Bara some two months ago.