September 26, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 25, 1429

LANDI KOTAL, Sept 25: Hundreds of armed tribal volunteers stormed two centres of militants in Malagori area of Jamrud tehsil on Thursday after the expiry of the deadline given to them for leaving the area.

The tribal Lashkar formed on Wednesday set Zagai and Tora Kopai centres of local Taliban on fire and arrested three alleged militants.

Two of the captured militants belong to Punjab province. The armed volunteers also demolished house of a militant commander. Sources said that the militants fired in the air in a bid to escape from the area. The tribal force retaliated which resulted in serious injuries to a militant. At least 70 to 100 militants managed to escape after the armed force initiated action against them, sources added.

A Malagori elder Malik Manaa told Dawn that the action had been initiated after the expiry of a twenty four hours dead line set for Taliban to leave the area peacefully.

He said a fine of Rs1 million would be imposed on those who were found guilty of harbouring or patronising militants in Malagaori area in future.

He said that the fate of the three captured militants would be decided by a tribal jirga. Malik Manaa said that no concession would be made to those who were found providing shelter or any other assistance to the militants.

Rs4.2M LOOTED: Unidentified gunmen looted an official vehicle near Ali Masjid at the main Peshawar-Torkhum highway and decamped with Rs4.2 million.

Officials said that the amount belonged to Agency Development Welfare Funds and was collected at Torkhum border under different heads. The amount was being taken from Trokhum to Khyber House, the office of political agent of Khyber Agency in Peshawar. Officials said they had registered a case and started investigations.

ROAD BLOCKED: Afridi tribesmen blocked the Peshawar-Torkhum road for several hours on Thursday to protest the arrest of their co-tribesmen by the local administration.

The Landi Kotal political administration arrested at least six tribesmen and impounded six vehicles on charges of smuggling wheat flour to Afghanistan via Torkhum border. The Khasadar Force also exchanged fire with flour smugglers near the Michni check post on Wednesday night but no body was hurt. The Khasadar impounded the vehicles and arrested three tribesmen after the incident.

Landi Kotal assistant political agent launched a crack down against wheat flour smugglers and arrested three more accomplices of the arrested alleged smugglers on Wednesday.

In retaliation, the Afridi tribesmen blocked the Peshawar-Torkhum road and demanded the immediate release of arrested men and vehicles.

Sources in Landi kotal said that a mafia of flour smugglers having the backing and support of some influential pro-administration tribal elders was behind the smuggling of thousands of flour bags to Afghanistan on daily basis.