MANSEHRA, May 9: Four people, including two policemen, were killed and three cops critically injured when a remote controlled explosive device went off near a police mobile van in Sarmal Nusratkhail area of Torghar on Thursday.

“Police were the target as miscreants detonated the device near the van,” local senior superintendent of police Shahnazar Khan told reporters here.

He said policemen were fetching water from a natural spring near the Indus River when they were targeted.

The SSP said the attack left constables Salahuddin and Wajid Rafiq and two passersby dead and policemen Qamar Hayyat, Mumtaz Khan and Ajab Khan injured.

He said the bodies and the injured were shifted to the nearby hospital in another police van.

It was the second terrorist attack against police in the district during the last two weeks.

Earlier, two policemen were killed in a remote controlled bomb blast.

BOY KILLED IN KHAR BLAST: A boy was killed and four injured when an explosive device went off inside a playground in Rashkai area of Bajaur Agency on Thursday.

Local residents and officials said the blast occurred during the final of a cricket tournament andf that it left 16-year-old Ibrahim Khan dead and four children injured.

They said the injured were shifted to the Agency Headquarters Hospital, Khar, where two were stated to be in critical condition.

After the blast, local residents and personnel of Bajaur levies force reached the site and began rescue operation.

The local administration later began investigation into the blast.

No terrorist group claimed responsibility for the blast by night.

TWO BLASTS OCCUR IN SWABI: Two separate blasts took place in different parts of Swabi district early on Thursday.

According to officials, the first blast occurred in front of the Benazir Income Support Programme office in Mal Lara locality.

However, no casualty was reported.

The other bomb occurred in front of Awami National Party’s election office.

The blast damaged the office, which was closed at that time. It caused no damage to human life.

District police officer Mian Mohammad Said told a news conference in Swabi on Thursday that police had arrested two militants during a crackdown in the district.

He said the arrested men had said they had received training in Waziristan agencies and were planning to carry out terrorist activities in the district on May 11.

The DPO said militants were arrested in Bamkhel area and that two pistols, two hand grenades and motorcycle were taken into custody from them.

He said the arrested men were Khan Sher of Shahbaz Garhi, Mardan, and Sohail Khan of Maneri Payan, Swabi.

ANP ELECTION OFFICES TARGETED: Two Awami National Party election offices were partially damaged in an improvised explosive device blast in Bahlola area of Charsadda district on Thursday night.

According to local residents, IEDs were planted near the ANP election offices in main Bahlola bazaar.

The windowpanes and doors of the two offices were damaged. However, no casualty was reported as the offices were closed at the time of the blasts.

ANP candidate for PK-18 Arshad Abdullah had addressed a corner meeting in Bahlola bazaar around 40 minutes before the blasts.

MISSILES DEFUSED: The khasadar force on Thursday defused three missiles kept in an empty water tank in Landi Kotal area.

Local officials said residents of Meerdadkhel area informed the khasadar force about the presence of missiles.

They said the khasadar force showed up immediately and took away missiles before defusing them.