KHAR, July 20: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a member of Salarzi peace committee in Tali area of Salarzai tehsil of Bajaur Agency on Saturday.

Local people and officials said that the victim, Malik Bakht Buland, a member of village defence committee, was on his way to Khar Bazaar along with his cousin Haider Shah from their hometown when unidentified persons opened fire on them.

As a result, both were wounded seriously and taken to hospital where Malik Buland died.

Residents of the area immediately reached the spot, but the assailants had escaped.

Later, officials and personnel of Bajaur Levies also reached there and launched a search operation to trace the attackers. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, security forces have arrested several tribesmen in Mamond tehsil following the killing of three senior members of anti-Taliban peace committee and two personnel of the security forces on Thursday last.

Official told reporters here that a search operation conducted in the area jointly by the administration and security forces continued for the third consecutive day on Saturday in which at least 80 suspects had been arrested in various villages.

He said that the search operation was conducted in Gut, Agra, Banda, Zagai, Amanata, Chajoo and Badan area. According to the residents, strict curfew has been imposed in various areas for the third consecutive day due to the ongoing search operation in the region.

They said that they had been facing great hardships and transport services remained suspended in the area.

Meanwhile, the residents demanded of the administration to immediately lift the curfew, saying that they had been running out of the food stocks and other essential items.

FLOOD KILLS TWO: Two persons were killed as heavy rains and flood played havoc in several parts of Barang tehsil of Bajaur tribal region on Saturday. The flood also damaged crops and roads in the region.

Local administration officials said that the flood swept away a woman and young man in two areas of Barang tehsil.

They said that the first incident occurred in Mian Khan Dara area, 40 kilometre from Khar, where the flood triggered by heavy rain swept away 38-year-old woman, who was working in a field near a river.

In another incident a young man was also swept away by flood when he was passing from a river in Ghar Shamozo.

Soon after the incidents, people from nearby villages started rescue work and recovered the bodies from the river.

People of the area said that heavy rain began early in the morning and continued for several hours, affecting a number of villages of the region.

They said that the rains had damaged standing crop of maize, vegetables and fruits on hundreds of acres, while gushing floodwater also damaged roads, electricity system and other infrastructure.

A senior official told reporters that that the authority had started relief operation in the region and several teams comprising officials of the administration and Levies forces were sent to the affected areas.