October 30, 2008	Thursday	Shawwal 30, 1429

GHALANAI, Oct 29: Security forces killed a militant and arrested two others in injured condition after exchange of heavy fire in Mohmand tribal region on Wednesday.

Personnel of Mohmand Riffles signalled a suspected motorcar in Darwazgai area of tehsil Lakaro, some 16 kilometres from here, to stop for checking but the driver did not stop the vehicle and sped it away. The security forces chased the car and exchanged fire with the persons riding the car. The car was hit by a rocket shell as a result one of the suspected militants was killed on the spot while two of them took refuge at a shop at the back of a private public school.

The security forces cordoned of the area and asked the militants to surrender. The militants resorted to firing and in exchange of fire both of them sustained serious injuries. They were arrested and shifted to undisclosed location for interrogation.Later the security forces also pounded the suspected militant locations with artillery shelling after observing movement of Taliban in the nearby areas. The firing continued for more than thirty minutes and both sides targeted each other positions with heavy weapons.

No casualty from the two sides was reported till filing of this report. However, locals said that two labrours received injuries as one of the artillery shells hit a brick kiln in Utmanzai area of tehsil Pandyali.

KIDNAPPED: Unidentified persons reportedly kidnapped two tribal councillors and another person from tehsil Anbar of Lower Mohmand region on Wednesday.

Assistant Political Agent Rasool Khan told Dawn by phone that unidentified persons whisked away two tribal councilors identified as Akber Khan, Noor Rehman and another tribesman Misbah son of Dawood Mian from Anbar and shifted them to undisclosed location.

No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. The kidnappers have made no contact as yet with family members of the missing persons. The political administration has registered a case against the kidnappers and started investigation.

INSPECTION: Political Agent Amjad Ali Khan and Mohmand Riffles Commandant Colonel Saifullah visited different areas from Pandyali to Danishkool of Lower Mohmand region for the first time to check security situation in the troubled area.

DELEGATION: A delegation of elders of the area and some traders called on Assistant Political Agent Syed Ahmed Khan at his office in Ghalanai and requested him to lift curfew in Ghalani Bazaar.

The APA assured them of lifting the curfew from Thursday. They were of the opinion that the people of Haleemzai tehsil were peace loving and would extend any kind of cooperation to the political administration in maintaining law and order.