LANDI KOTAL: The Khyber Agency political administration on Sunday ordered thousands of Loe Shalman residents to vacate their houses after a mortar shell fired from Afghanistan killed a woman and critically injured a boy two days ago.

Officials said that residents of the bordering Sheen Pokh village were asked to immediately vacate their houses and shift to safer places.

They said the action was taken to ensure safety of residents of the bordering villages situated along the bank of River Kabul in Loe Shalman as they feared militant attacks on nearby military installations established to check movement of suspected elements.

The officials said displacement of around 3,000 families was a temporary phenomenon as these families would be relocated to their houses as soon the suspected militants were pushed back from their bases on the Afghan side.

Meanwhile, members of the affected families said the local administration neither provided them free transportation nor any temporary shelter.

Majority of the affected families opted to shift to houses of their relatives in other parts of Loe Shalman. Officials, however, said contacts had been made with Fata Disaster Management Authority for provision of temporary shelters to Sheen Pokh families.

The locals said it was for the second time since February that they were compelled to vacate their houses.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2017