April 11, 2008	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 4, 1429

LANDI KOTAL, April 10: Tension gripped Jamrud sub-division of Khyber tribal region when supporters of a militant outfit captured mosque of their rival sectarian group in Shah Kas area on Thursday.

Sources said that armed supporters of Mangal Bagh, chief of Lashkar-i-Islam, captured a mosque in Shah Kas owned by a tribesman Momin Khan of Bar Qamberkhel tribe.

The occupation of the mosque sparked tension in the area and political administration formed a jirga to persuade militants to vacate the mosque. It is pertinent to mention here that Mangal Bagh’s supporters had attacked a village on the outskirts of Peshawar last month and killed 12 people besides destroying a four-century old shrine and burning several houses there. But he is still at large.

Till filing of this report Mangal Bagh’s supporters were still occupying the mosque. The rival groups had taken positions in Shah Kas area adjacent to Peshawar. In a related development the inhabitants of the Kokikhel tribe decided to resist the entry of Mangal Bagh people in Jamrud tehsil. The Kokikhel tribesmen, according to reports had set up checkpoints to block entry of Lashkar-i-Islam members in their area.