PESHAWAR/LANDI KOTAL: Two security personnel were killed in an incident of terrorism here on Friday.

The first incident took place in a bazaar of Mathra village on the outskirts of Peshawar, where a huge bomb blast targeted a military convoy leaving two security personnel dead.

An official of Mathra police station said the convoy was attacked at around 7:45am when it was on the way from Peshawar to Warsak.

He said the improvised explosive device was fitted to a motorcycle and that it was detonated by remote control.

The bomb disposal unit said the bomb weighed around six kilogrammes.

“We have recovered ball bearings used in the bomb from the crime scene,” another police official said.

6kg explosive device fitted to a motorcycle

He said the actual target seemed to be the security forces as the bomb was detonated when military vehicles just crossed the blast place.

The official said the blast damaged a jeep of the forces and power supply system, and smashed windowpanes of nearby buildings.

An official of Mathra police station said the counterterrorism department had registered a case of the bombing.

However, the CTD officials refused to share its details with Dawn.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan condemned the bombing and described it a cowardly act on part of terrorists.

In a statement issued here, the governor said the elements involved in the crime could never escape from the court of law and justice.

“Such cowardly acts of terrorism could never deter the government and our people in their staunchly committed struggle against extremism and terrorism and indeed maintenance of peace on stable lines is must to ensure development and prosperity of our beloved country,” he said.

The governor said the government and the people saluted security personnel and officers for the spirit, courage and commitment with which they were doing their duty.

HOUSES TORCHED: An armed group of the defected activists of a banned militant outfit, Lashkar-i-Islam, on Friday torched houses of three of their former colleagues in Akkakhel area of restive Bara tehsil.

Local sources said scores of armed men who had in recent days surrendered to security forces under the leadership of Haji Faqir carried out armed patrolling of Shultan Khel area in Akkakhel Mera and Aziz Market, which is situated in close proximity with a camp of security forces.

They said with loud speakers mounted on their vehicles, the heavily armed men demanded of the local residents to hand them over whatever activists of Lashkar-i-Islam left behind when they fled the area after the start of Khyber One military operation in the area.

The sources said very few families were left in the entire Akkakhel area as almost 90 percent of the area’s population had already fled their homes.

They said the former LI militants warned the remaining few that they would be treated very harshly if they dared harbour LI activists or refuse to surrender weapons, vehicles or motorcycles they were given by the LI men while fleeing.

The sources said LI activists left behind a number of vehicles and motorcycles at deserted places of Akkakhel which they had earlier snatched at gunpoint mostly on Peshawar-Kohat Highway near Mattani area.

They said the Haji Faqir group had taken possession of most of automobiles.

The sources said the group occupied an abandoned government school near Shiekhan area and the house of an LI sympathiser, Zafar Qazi, in Dro Adda area.

Earlier, the group torched the houses of Rasool Jan and Mian sahib, two very close aides of LI chief Mangal Bagh.

The sources said the houses were torched after their owners refused to surrender to security forces before fleeing the area.

They said a third house was also set on fire in the area.

When contacted about the activities of defected LI elements, officials of the political administration said no such group existed in Bara.

Political agent Shah Ali Shah had earlier told a news conference that the administration won’t tolerate private militia or armed tribal lashkar in Bara.

He, however, said his administration would provide security to those laying down arms after the start of the military operation.

Published in Dawn, November 22th , 2014