PESHAWAR, Jan 19: Suspected foreign militants and their local collaborators in the Dawar tribe set on fire the guest house of an elder of the Bakakhel tribe and kidnapped three people, including a Khasadar, in the Frontier Region, Bannu, on Friday, officials said.

The attack was jointly conducted by Uzbek militants and the local Taliban belonging to the Dawar tribe in the Bakakhel area, adjacent to the North Waziristan Agency, to avenge the death of a militant who was killed by local peace committee volunteers in an encounter on Jan 13.

The volunteers of the Bakakhel tribe had killed an Uzbek national and wounded a Dawar tribesman when they hijacked a car from six persons on the Mirali-Bannu road.

Sources said that the attack on the Hujra of Malik Rashid, who is also head of the Bakakhel Peace Committee, triggered tension between Wazir and Dawar tribes.

Sources said that foreign and local militants from the Dawar tribe set on fire the Hujra of the Malik and a tractor parked there.

Later armed volunteers of the Bakakhel tribe blocked the Bannu-Mirali road and detained 50 people belonging to the Dawar tribe and also impounded 15 vehicles.

A Jirga of the Bakakhel tribe was held and demanded release of the abducted people otherwise they would launch campaign against Uzbek nationals in the area.

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