October 04, 2008	Saturday	Shawwal 04, 1429

KOHAT, Oct 3: A tribal Lashkar captured 18 militants and seized a huge quantity of explosives and four suicide jackets from their two vehicles in Orakzai Agency’s Feroze Khel area on Thursday.

Official sources said at least 10,000 armed men from all the tribes of the Orakzai Agency stopped the two vehicles for checking after receiving reports that militants from adjoining Darra Adamkhel had entered the area for hiding and carrying out attacks on security forces. Upon checking, the elders recovered five huge drums full of explosives and four suicide jackets.

Confirming the arrest of the militants with explosives, the agency’s political agent said that under an agreement the 18 tribes of the Orakzai Agency were bound to capture militants and award them punishment according to the law of the land if they tried to use the land for terrorist activities.

The tribal elders have constituted a 160-member committee to keep a check on activities of the Taliban, who had taken shelter in the area. The trial of the 18 captured militants has been started in Ghiljo where elders will suggest punishment for them and also try to capture their companions.

Political agent Kamran Zeb told Dawn on Thursday that the tribes were with the government and had decided not to shelter militants who were still active and wanted to disturb peace of the area.

Meanwhile, a security man was killed and three women were injured as local militants continued rocket attacks on security forces here during Eid. Sepoy Faizul Hassan of the Mehsud Scouts stationed at Spina Thana near Darra Adamkhel for security of passengers was killed in a rocket attack by militants on Friday, officials said.

The rocket fired from the western hills hit electricity wires and then exploded inside a checkpost jointly manned by the Frontier Corps and the Frontier Constabulary. The women were injured when militants fired five rockets at Kohat from some unknown location on the first day of Eid in the Jangle Khel area.

One of the rockets hit the house of Javed Islam Qureshi near the Government Girls’ High School, injuring Nilofar, Pisraja and Kahfifa.

Mr Qureshi lodged a report with the Jangle Khel police.

The bomb disposal squad also defused a 10kg improvised explosive device planted right in the middle of the Indus Highway in Darra Adamkhel. Militants fired on several vehicles and the drivers had to take shelter in the streets.

Officials said that in the wake of firing on passenger vehicles and security forces, the Kohat Friendship Tunnel on the Indus Highway might be closed any time after Eid vacations.

Militants have increased their attacks since the opening of the tunnel a day before Eid.

KILLED: A man reportedly killed his daughter-in-law by mistake while allegedly trying to kill his sons fighting over the ownership of the drawing room of their house in Sharkardarra on Thursday.

Ishtiaq Qamar, husband of the victim, Bibi Zeran, told police that he lived in a house in the Faqirabad area along with his brother and father Mohammad Ishaq. He had a dispute over the ownership of a room used for guests with his brother and they started fighting on Thursday.

The accused surrendered before police, who registered a murder case against him.