MARDAN, Jan 19: Rockets struck three houses near the Punjab Regiment Centre here on Saturday. The houses were partially damaged, but there was no loss of life.

Police and eyewitnesses said three rockets had been fired on the house of local Awami National Party leader Malik Ilyas in Baghdada, just in front of the Punjab Regiment Center. Two nearby houses, one of Faraz Khan and the other of Ikram Khan, were also damaged. Faraz Khan is also affiliated with the ANP.

Last week, a rocket had hit the house of Azam Khan, a PML-Q candidate for the PF-30 seat, damaging a portion of the house.

Meanwhile, the Choora police arrested two people near Dobai Ada, 16km north of Mardan, and seized 190 dynamites and 100 detonators from their car.

Police said a case was registered against the accused, Izhar Khan and Roshan Khan of Jamal Garhi, and their car was impounded.

However, local people, including relatives, said the arrested people were innocent and were taking the dynamites for marble mines in the nearby mountains of Jamal Ghari and Spinkai.