MINGORA/KOHAT, Nov 28: Police claimed to have arrested an important militant commander in Chapial area of Swat on Monday.

Officials said that police conducted a raid in the area after they were tipped off that key militant commander Bacha Zada was present in Lail Banr village of Chaprial.

“Police cordoned off the area and arrested the man, who was wanted by law enforcers in various cases of violence in the area,” they said.

Police said Bacha Zada was wanted by local administration in killing of Samiullah, head of anti-Taliban lashkar, and 14 other people in Swat.

The arrested militant was shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

In Kohat, a policeman was injured on Monday in exchange of fire with the armed members of banned Muhammadzai Movement.

The officials of Cantt police said that they were patrolling the area as per routine when the armed members of the banned group came face to face with them.

“They were asked to surrender their arms but they refused and opened firing on the patrolling party,” they added. Constable Abdul Moim Khan was injured in the firing. He was taken to KDA hospital from where doctors referred him to Peshawar for treatment.

An official said that the movement had been banned but a criminal group was running it to keep police away from the area and continue its illegal activities.

The Cantt police registered a case against the chief of the movement, Gulzar Khan. However, he managed to escape after the incident.

The office of the district police officer confirmed that registration of the movement was canceled after a ban was imposed on it last year but a group of criminals was running illegal businesses of drugs, gambling and extortion under its umbrella.

The Muhammadzai Movement was banned when it started parallel policing in the area bordering Orakzai Agency and took about six policemen hostages. Police had asked the members of the movement to surrender all illegal weapons and leave the security of the area to the administrations of Kohat district and Orakzai Agency.

Meanwhile, the residents of Muhammadzai have appealed to the chief minister and the commissioner Kohat division to resolve the land dispute between them and the Bezote tribesmen of Orakzai Agency.