BANNU, Sept 7: The authorities on Friday arrested 30 tribesmen in the semi-autonomous Janikhel region for harbouring Al Qaeda elements as paramilitary forces continue siege of the area.

Reports reaching here said that the authorities arrested 30 locals under section 40 of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and sent them to central jail Dera Ismail Khan.

The administration asked the tribesmen to hand over the alleged accused who liberated eight suspects from a checkpoint a few days back.

The forces had already demolished homes of the five tribesmen, hailing from Janikhel area; the villages are still under siege.

Witnesses said that a representative jirga of Janikhel tribe has asked the authorities to lift the siege, restore telephone and electricity, and withdraw paramilitary forces from the area, immediately.