KOHAT, May 24 Militants attacked the Chanda oil and gas fields in Shakardarra late Sunday night.

They fired a rocket from the nearby mountains on the oil and gas fields and directed heavy weapons fire at the private security guards and Frontier Constabulary personnel deployed at the site. No loss of life or damage to property was reported, however. Return fire from the security personnel forced the militants to retreat.

A FIR was registered by Shakardarra police against unidentified people under section ¾ of the Explosives Act and 7 Anti-Terrorist Act. It stated that only one rocket had been fired which exploded outside the oil and gas fields.

However, Mr Mushfiq, regional chief of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited that operates the oil and gas fields, told Dawn from Islamabad that two rockets had been fired, one exploding inside the facility and the other landing close to the area.

POLICE STATION Dozens of charged protesters, including women and children, besieged the Shakardarra police station and closed the bazaar on Monday against alleged police misbehaviour with women.

“The protesters, led by notorious militant Riaz, are so angry that we have to lock the gates from inside for our safety. A majority of the people, who have surrounded the police station, are relatives of the militant,” claimed in-charge of the police media cell, while talking to Dawn on telephone.

The outrage was caused when the Shakardarra police raided the house of alleged militant commander Riaz in the Jameel locality early Monday. However, Riaz managed to escape.

The area people said when police did not find Riaz they asked the women in the house about his whereabouts.