TIMERGARA/KHAR, Oct 2: Four shops were destroyed and five others damaged partially in a blast at Kumbar Maidan Bazaar here on Sunday, police said.

Before the blast, militants attacked a temporary checkpoint of police at Kumbar early in the morning. Exchange of fire between the attackers and law enforcers continued for some time, sources said. However, there was no report of casualties in the attack. “The attackers then exploded a bomb, planted already at the local market, and destroyed four shops of computers and cellular phone sets completely,” sources said.

They said that five adjacent shops were also damaged partially in the blast. The law enforcers soon cordoned off the area after the incident and started search operation but no arrest was made till filing of this report.

The destroyed shops were owned by Samiullah, Ghulam Rahman, Inam Khan and Akbar Khan. The incident spread a wave of fear in the area.

Meanwhile, a former militant commander, who was injured in an attack by unidentified persons in Warr Mamond tehsil of Bajaur Agency the other day, succumbed to his injuries in a hospital in Peshawar on Sunday.

Sources said that the former commander, Shah Faisal Khan, had renounced militancy and severed relations with the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan recently. He had laid down arms and surrendered to the security forces unconditionally.Sources said that Shah Faisal was meeting some guests in his hujra in Dabbar area of Warr Mamond when unidentified persons attacked him. He was seriously injured in the attack.

He had been shifted to the agency headquarters hospital in Khar and was later shifted to Peshawar in precarious condition. Nobody has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

Sources said that Shah Faisal worked as a senior commander of Taliban in Bajaur Agency for three years. Political authorities said that he had been involved in attacks on tribal lashkars and peace committees, kidnappings for ransom and killings of tribal elders in Bajaur Agency.

Sources said that he had renounced militancy after developing differences with Taliban leadership in the agency.