KOHAT, Dec 25 Unidentified armed men kidnapped the district secretary general of Awami National Party in Hangu along with his driver from Naryab-Doab road on Thursday.

The kidnappers also injured two bodyguards of ANP leader Malik Riaz. One of the injured men was a levies constable identified as Gul Bad Shah while the other was his personal bodyguard Fazal Hakeem. The driver was identified as Sajjad Ahmed.

The bodyguards in their statements said that they left Naryab for Doaba and as soon as reached Marofa Banda five armed men opened firing at them. And then took away the 2-D Toyota along with Malik Riaz and his driver.

Police began hunt for the kidnappers along the border with Orakzai Agency but the accused managed to whisk away the victims to unknown place.

Officials said that it was a case of kidnapping for ransom but the possibility of the involvement of militants could not be ruled out completely.

TERRORISM BIDS FOILED Police foiled two separate attempts of terrorism by defusing a powerful remote controlled bomb and recovering explosives from a vehicle on Hangu-Darra Adamkhel road on Thursday.

Police said that they received information that a suspicious thing attached to a wire was lying on the Kohat-Hangu road in the Kaghazai Square. The bomb disposal squad reached the scene and defused a 20-kilogram powerful bomb made of gas cylinder and attached to batteries with wire.

The bomb was made of refrigerator compressor, two charged batteries, 100 yards of wire and two electric detonators.

The in charge of the bomb disposal squad defused the bomb in one hour and during the operation the road was blocked for all types of traffic for the safety of the lives of passengers. He said that it was planted for particular traffic.

In another case Gulshanabad police recovered 10 kilograms of explosives from a vehicle bearing registration number LM-986 coming from Darra Adamkhel and arrested three suspects.

Police stopped a pick-up vehicle and during search recovered 10 kilograms of explosives and 15 yards wire from its secret cavities. The Jangle Khel police have registered a case and impounded the vehicle for investigation. —Correspondent