LANDI KOTAL, Dec 31: On the second day of a military operation being carried out in the Jamrud area of Khyber Agency, security forces demolished dozens of houses and arrested a large number of people for having supported or shielded militants.

Two army helicopters hovered over Jamrud almost the whole day on Wednesday, attacking militant hideouts and houses of Kukikhel elders in Ghundi. Tanks and artillery were also used to pound areas where militant commanders were reported to be hiding.

The Peshawar-Torkham highway and the Torkham border remained closed and a strict curfew was in force in Jamrud. Because of the border closure, all supplies for Nato forces in Afghanistan remained suspended for the second day.

Briefing newsmen on the ‘Here I Come’ operation, Khyber Agency’s Political Agent Tariq Hayat Khan claimed that troops had destroyed houses of at least 19 militant commanders and Kukikhel elders.

He said that Kukikhel elders had failed to flush out criminals from their area and also provided shelter to militants. Action against them has been taken under the collective territorial responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulations.The elders whose houses have been demolished include Malak Attaullah Kukikhel, Senator Nasar Khan, Najibullah Katiakhel, Khan Zeb Sherkhankhel, Utman Zeb Shekhankhel, Hazrat Shah, Hamid Khan, Mohammad Noor Abdulkhel, Taimoor Khan and Haji Momin.

Three members of Malak Attaullah’s family were among the 116 persons arrested during the operation.

The political agent said that a huge quantity of arms and ammunition had been found in the house of militant commander Iftikhar, but he managed to escape.

Tariq Hayat Khan announced Rs100,000 compensation for each civilian killed and Rs40,000 each for the injured.

He said that utmost care was being taken to avoid civilian casualties.