GHALANAI Eighteen people, women and children among them, were killed and six others injured when a bus hit a landmine in Mohmand tribal region on Friday.

According to Mohmand Rifles, the bus carrying wedding guests from Rawalpindi hit the mine at Suran Darra Chowk, some 25km from the Mamad Gat FC camp.

“The device was placed by militants who wanted to hit tanks and armoured personnel carriers,” official sources said.

Officials of the political administration said 18 people had been killed and six others injured. The injured were taken to local clinics and later to hospitals in Peshawar.

No group has claimed responsibility for planting the mine, but local people and officials believe it was the work of militants in reaction to a search carried out in the area by law-enforcement agencies a few days ago.

Several militants were arrested and houses of a number of suspects were demolished during the search operation.

15 injured in Peshawar car bomb blast Page 12