LANDI KOTAL: Activists of a banned militant group were injured and their vehicle was badly damaged in a bomb blast, while security forces arrested eight suspects and seized a suicide jacket, in different incidents in Bara and Landi Kohat areas on Friday.

Sources said an explosive device planted along a roadside in Bar Qambar Khel area was detonated through a remote control when some activists of Haji Namdar group passed by in a vehicle. Two persons, whose names could not be ascertained, were injured while the vehicle was also damaged. No body claimed responsibility of the blast.

In Landi Kotal, security forces arrested four suspects and seized a suicide jacket and hundreds of cartridges during a raid on a house. Officials said that the arrested men were shifted to army camp for interrogation.

Forces’ personnel also arrested four suspects during a search operation in Shah Kas area of Jamrud. The arrested men were identified as Akhtar Zaman, Multan Khan, Sher Rehman and Gul Tabassum.

In Kalaya area of Orakzai, three watchmen were injured as armed men hurled two hand grenades on them at Anjani bazaar in lower Orakzai.The injured were identified as Sulman, Gul Khan and Nadar Khan. The other watchmen at the bazaar opened fire in retaliation, forcing the attackers to flee the area. The injured watchmen were taken to Perozkhel hospital. Following the attack, security forces launched a search operation and arrested several suspected persons.

In Mingora, an official of the security forces man was killed and three others were injured in a firing incident in Salanda area of Matta tehsil on the night between Thursday and Friday. The victim was identified as Amjad, and the injured Hazrat Rahman, Mohammad Rahim and a woman, Rabia. — Dawn Report

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2014