NOWSHERA, July 9: Panic gripped Nowshera on Wednesday when rockets were fired from a hill near Kaka Sahib on the Nowshera cantonment area early in the morning.

One of the rockets hit the residence of Engineer Izat Ali in Gulistan Colony. A portion of the house was destroyed. No casualty was reported. One rocket hit a tree in the Jinnah Bagh in front of the residences of Nowshera DPO and some senior army officers.

Another rocket exploded in the Armoured Corps Centre.

The local administration has declared a red alert in Nowshera and security agencies have cordoned off sensitive areas.

Bomb disposal personnel who examined shrapnels said the rockets were Russian 107, which could hit a target 10 kilometres away.

Local Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack.

Talking from an unspecified place, Taliban spokesman Abu Mohammad told journalists on phone that the attack was in retaliation for the military operation in Badrashi. He warned of more attacks if the operation continued.