LANDI KOTAL, Dec 23: Security forces on Friday imposed ban on pillion riding in Bara and warned that violators would be shot on sight.

Acknowledging the ban, Bara Assistant Political Agent Rehan Khattak told Dawn that the step was taken to curb attacks against security forces and supporters of the local administration. “The ban applies to the entire Bara tehsil and would be strictly implemented,” he made it clear.

Local sources said that announcements were made on loudspeakers in different parts of Bara cautioning the local residents against use of motorcycles.

“Violators would be shot on sight and the bike would be torched and no leniency would be shown to anyone,” said the announcements by the security personnel from loudspeakers fitted atop their vehicles.

Bara has of late witnessed a surge in armed attacks against the security forces, mostly carried out by miscreants riding motorcycles. The local administration had on three previous occasions banned pillion riding in Bara but it could not be effectively implemented.

Meanwhile, a teenaged girl was killed and five persons including children were injured when stray mortar shells fell on three different houses in Shalobar area of Bara on Friday.

Sources said that the slain girl was Hafiz-i-Quran. One of her girl students was also injured when the shell hit the house while the students were busy in learning Quran.

Two children of Jan Mohammad and two more persons were also injured shells hit two other houses. All the injured were taken to Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar for treatment.In another development, security forces arrested four suspect militants during a search operation in Shakas area of Jamrud tehsil on Friday.Officials said that arrested men included two young sons of Haji Najeebullah, former local ameer of Jamaat-i-Islami.

Unidentified militants on Thursday night destroyed a private school for boys in Landi Kotal.

Local residents in Khuga Khel area said that three explosions took place one after the other which destroyed at least seven rooms and boundary wall of Bacha Khan School. Local authorities took the watchman into their custody and started investigation.

A kukikhel tribesman was critically injured when his vehicle was hit by a roadside explosion in Serhai area of Tirah valley on Friday. Cause of the explosion could not be immediately ascertained. —Ibrahim Shinwari