GHALANAI, Oct 11: Local militants shot dead on Thursday six alleged criminals to avenge the death of their four associates killed in the Pandialai tehsil.

They also caught hold of six ‘criminals’ and took them away.

Local people told Dawn that the militants had attacked a hideout of Yousaf Khan, an alleged anti-social element, in the Dwezai village of Pandialai tehsil during their ‘anti-vice campaign’ in the Mohmand Agency.

Four local Taliban were killed when the ‘criminals’ fired back.

Two of the deceased were residents of the area, while the other two belonged to the Kadaharo village.

Eyewitnesses said that after the encounter, hundreds of Taliban supporters surrounded the house of Yousaf Khan, who had by that time left the place along with his family, and set it on fire.

Residents said that the Taliban succeeded in tracking down the fleeing criminals in the Kasorai mountains of Tamanzo area and killed six of them and took away six others.

During the past one month, militants have killed at least eight persons in their drive against ‘crimes’ in the agency. Two of them were beheaded.