MINGORA, April 28: Two people died when an explosive device went off in Baidara village of Matta tehsil in upper Swat on Thursday morning. Police cordoned off the area after the blast. One victim was in his mid-30s while the other was about 40, they said. Both of them sported beards.

It could not be ascertained if they were trying to plant the device or taking it to some other area for some terrorist activity.

The police said the blast had blown up the head of a victim, while the other had lost an arm and a leg. The police had found their limbs scattered over 200-meter area and it was very difficult to establish their identity, they said.

They were confirmed militants, said DIG Malakand Attaullah Wazir, while talking to Dawn.

They found two walkie-talkies, a phone diary, wires, batteries and fuses on the mortal remains of the victims.

The police also detected some wires, listened to voices coming out of them at the site and called out a special bomb disposal squad from Peshawar. They feared that any other device might have been planted in the area.

Police officials and elders of the area, including tehisl nazim Abdul Jabbar Khan, rushed to the site and termed it a terrorist activity.

Since Feb 2004, many suspects of having links with Al Qaeda have been arrested from the area. Some were allegedly involved in attacks on President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

The Matta tehsil is considered a hub of activities of religious fanatics.