PARACHINAR/GHALANAI/LANDI KOTAL, Jan 1: Two persons, including a girl, were killed in two separate landmine blasts in Kurram and Mohmand agencies on Saturday while a school was partially damaged when two mortar shells hit it in Khyber Agency. Sources said a landmine planted by unidentified persons went off in Pewar area of upper Kurram Agency, injuring a girl of Toori tribe. The injured girl was shifted to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.

The body of the girl was taken to Shamdar area of Pewar for burial.

Sources said that Mangal tribesmen opened firing on the members of Toori tribe during the funeral prayer. Security forces targeted positions of Mangal tribesmen with artillery. However no casualty was reported.

In Mohmand Agency, a driver was killed when his pick-up struck a landmine in Ambar tehsil on Saturday.

The residents said that the pick-up was passing through Olaishah village when it was hit by a landmine, critically injuring the driver, Jamroz. The vehicle was completely damaged in the blast.

The injured driver was shifted to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar where he breathed his last.

Meanwhile, helicopter gunships shelled suspected locations in different areas of Baizai tehsil in Mohmand tribal region on Saturday.

Sources said that the gunships targeted suspected hideouts of militants in Oghazdarra and Shandarra Esakhel villages. No information about casualties were received from the area.

In Khyber Agency, a private school was partially damaged after two mortar shells hit it on Friday night in Kohi area of Bara tehsil. Eight students, residing in the hostel, remained unhurt.

The mortars damaged the windowpanes, doors and cupboards in different classrooms. The laboratory of the school was also damaged.

About 450 students are enrolled in the school, Iqra Children Academy. The principal of the school, Lal Khan, said that the school was also hit last year by mortar shells leaving two of the classrooms damaged.

He added that he was not paid any compensation by the government and had repaired the school through his own resources. He said that it was not clear whether the shells were fired by militants or by security forces.

Meanwhile, Swat police claimed to have arrested the perpetrator of Mingora Police Lines blast during a raid on his house in Manglawar area on Saturday.

Police said that they got information that the accused Maulvi Riaz was present at his home in Manglawar. A police party was sent to the area and the accused was arrested, they added. The accused was shifted to undisclosed location for interrogation.

He was accused of attacking Mingora Police Lines on July 4, 2007 in which three people were killed and three others, including DPO Mazahrul Haq Kakakhel, injured.