August 14, 2008	Thursday	Sha'aban 11, 1429

LANDI KOTAL, Aug 13: Unidentified persons killed a truck cleaner and abducted the driver along with the vehicle on the main Peshawar-Torkhum highway here on Wednesday.

An eyewitness said that a group of masked men riding in a pick up intercepted the vehicle near Kata Kushtha area in Jamrud tehsil and dragged its cleaner Arabistan Khan out of the vehicle.

The assailants shot him in the neck when Arabistan offered resistance and left him lying on the roadside in a pool of blood, Rafiullah, an eyewitness, told Dawn. He said that young Arabistan succumbed to the fatal neck injury before being shifted to hospital.

The masked men also beat the driver with rifle butts and took him along with his vehicle, he added. Sources said that the Kabul-bound container was carrying some un-notified goods to the Nato forces in Bagram, Afghanistan.

The incident caused fear and panic among the local residents and rumours about a possible militant attack caused the closure of Landi Kotal bazaar for some time. Paramilitary forces and Khassadar carried out patrolling of the local roads while the local ulema committee also deputed its armed volunteers in and around Landi Kotal bazaar.

Militant groups have intensified their attacks against such vehicles since their June 18 warning to owners and drivers of oil tankers and containers to desist from supplying oil and other necessary goods to the Allied forces stationed in Afghanistan.Meanwhile, an unknown group have demanded Rs10 million as ransom for the release of another container cleaner Kalimullah who was kidnapped from the main Peshawar-Torkham road near Walikhel on Friday last.

In a related development, bullet ridden body of an Ansarul Islam activist, Khandad Gul, was found in a dry stream in Shaga locality of Bazaar-Zakhakhel area on Wednesday. The diseased was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen a week ago.