October 11, 2008	Saturday	Shawwal 11, 1429

TIMERGARA, Oct 10: The guest house of an Awami National Party (ANP) leader was blown up by unidentified militants in Lower Dir district late on Thursday night. No casualty was reported.

Unidentified militants had planted a powerful remote-controlled bomb near the guest house owned by ANP’s secretary information and former senator Zahid Khan that went off late on Thursday night in Odigram village.

The blast was so powerful that it badly damaged the two-storey building. Sound of the blast was heard far away from the site of the blast. The two guards remained unhurt in the incident as they were sleeping outside the building, sources said.

Mohammad Ayub Khan, brother of the former senator told Dawn that the guest house was valued at Rs4.5 million some years ago.

He said the incident could be part of the ongoing militancy and violence targeted at the ANP leadership. The police and administration, Mr Ayub said should investigate the incident so that the accused could be brought to books.

It was the first incident of its nature in the district in which political leadership’s property was targeted. No individual or group has accepted responsibility for the attack so far.