KHYBER: The road to Tirah valley remained closed for at least two hours after explosion of a device planted along the main road on Thursday.

Local police said that the blast could not cause any damage as the road was deserted at the time of explosion. The incident took place in the Mehraban Kallay locality, which is situated some 10 kilometres from Tirah valley’s main business centre of Bagh Markaz.

They said that the bomb disposal squad later defused another explosive device planted in the same vicinity.

The police along with security forces, who have one of their main security checkposts in Mehraban Kallay, cordoned off the area and conducted a search operation, but no arrests were made. The road was later cleared to traffic.

Meanwhile, Khyber deputy commissioner Mehmud Aslam Wazir distributed

cheques among the families of Tirah valley whose houses were damaged during militancy.

At a ceremony held at the tehsil office in Bagh Markaz the other day, the Khyber deputy commissioner gave away cheques to owners of at least 136 houses that were damaged in acts of terrorism when Taliban were in control of Tirah valley.

Among the affected families, 121 belonged to Bar Qambar Khel tribe while the rest were Shalobar tribesmen.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2020