KHAR/KOHAT: Three people, including two personnel of levies force escorting anti-polio team, were injured when a roadside bomb exploded by their vehicle in a far-flung area of Bajaur Agency here on Wednesday.

The incident occurred when the levies personnel escorting a polio team in a private pickup van reached Dabar area, 24km northeast of the agency headquarters, Khar.

The bomb planted near a graveyard was exploded by remote control.

The injured included two levies personnel Anwar Said and Rehmanullah and driver Hazrat Omar suffered injuries. The vehicle was damaged in the attack.

Two levies personnel among the injured

The people and peace committee volunteers rushed to the blast site and shifted the injured to the AHQ Hospital Khar.

An official said the incident occurred on the final day of vaccination campaign.

Later, security forces held several tribesmen under the collective responsibility of FCR.

On Sept 10, a levies man was killed when an anti-polio team was attacked in Damadola area. The fresh attack took place a day after militants warned health workers in the region of attacks over participation in anti-polio campaigns.

The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan had distributed pamphlets in different parts of the agency saying the Taliban would target anti-polio vaccinators. No group claimed responsibility for the blast.

However, the political administration insisted militants could be behind the attack.

SHOPS DESTROYED IN BLAST: Four shops were gutted and destroyed in a bomb blast in the old bus stand in Thall tehsil of Hangu district on late Wednesday night.

The police confirmed the blast and said it could be a terrorist activity to spread fear among people.

They said their personnel cordoned off the area after the blast and called the bomb disposal squad to search for explosives. The squad, however, cleared the area. The police registered a case against unidentified people and began investigation.

However, no arrests were made by the night.

ARMS SEIZED: The police on Wednesday night seized a large cache of arms and ammunition on the Indus Highway in Lachi area during an attempt to smuggle them to Sindh from tribal areas.

Among the seized arms and ammunition were 36 pistols, two 12-bore repeaters, 68 chargers and thousands of cartridges.

The police also arrested two men from Bannu district, including Mohammad Ishaq and Bashir Sardar, who later turned out be brothers.

The police registered a case against them and began investigation.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2014