LANDI KOTAL, Oct 24: Two non-combatants succumbed to their injuries in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency on Wednesday as they could not be provided timely medical treatment owing to precarious security situation in the area.

Local sources said that Mohammad, a labourer, was critically injured along with three other colleagues when a mortar shell fell on a factory in Alamgudar area of Sipah on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Shermat Khan, another resident of Alamgudar, was shot in the thigh during an exchange of fire between security forces and militants during a search operation.

Sources said that both the wounded men died of excessive bleeding early on Wednesday morning as they could not be shifted to hospital owing to precarious security situation in the area. Their bodies remained lying on the ground for the whole night, they added.

The other three factory workers with minor injuries were removed from the site on Wednesday morning, sources said. It was also learnt that Abid Khan, a militant commander, died in a private clinic after he received bullet injuries during a shootout with security forces in Akkakhel area of Bara on Tuesday.

Security forces also demolished two hideouts and a house of a militant along with four shops in Charsiyano Chowk area of Akkakhel on Wednesday.

Forces claimed to have rounded up 1,600 local residents during the last two days and most of them were shifted to Fort Salop for questioning.

They said that 40 kilograms of explosive powder, six bombs and a vehicle were also seized during search operation in different localities.

In Mohmand Agency, suspected militants blew up two government primary schools in Haleemzai tehsil on Wednesday morning.  Sources said that militants planted explosive devices at the buildings of primary schools for boys in Wazir Kallay and Khwajawas Kor areas in the night that went off on Wednesday morning.

As a result, both the buildings were destroyed completely. Security forces arrested three local tribesmen with the help of sniffer dogs after the blasts in the area. Taliban spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan talked to local journalists by telephone from an undisclosed location and claimed responsibility for the blasts.

In Swabi, suspected militants blew up a government middle school in New Nehar Jahangira on Wednesday.

Police said that two classrooms of the school were destroyed completely while the third one was damaged in the pre-dawn blast.

They said that militants had planted explosives at the veranda of the school building.

About 290 students, enrolled in the school, were told on Wednesday to remain in their homes till further order