KOHAT, Feb 23: The elite police force arrested over a dozen suspects in nearby Marai village on Wednesday in search of the terrorists who attacked a passenger van the previous day, killing two tribesmen and injuring four others.

The van was fired upon on Marai Road, in the limits of Ustarzai police station, while coming from lower Orakzai Agency to Kohat.

Police and local people told this correspondent that terrorists had been attacking vehicles on this route off and on. A few weeks ago, three women were killed when terrorists ambushed a vehicle at the same place.

The residents said that the law-enforcement agencies had failed to stop the attacks and arrest the terrorists hiding in the nearby mountains.

Ustarzai police officials told Dawn on phone that a van (C-1171, Peshawar) was coming from Mishti Mela area in lower Orakzai to Kohat when it was ambushed by terrorists hiding in a roadside shop.

SHO Abdur Rasheed said that the deceased were identified as Mohammad Saeed, 38, and Hameed Khan, 42. Sources said that Mohammad Akbar, Sial Khan and an unknown man were injured and they were being provided treatment at the KDA hospital.

Police media cell quoting eyewitnesses said that another injured who lost his hand had escaped after the attack.The parallel Kacha Pakha and Marai roads, which were closed by rival groups, were reopened last month after three years and people had taken a sigh of relief.

HOUSE DAMAGED: The boundary wall of the house of a tribal elder was damaged in a blast in Hangu city on Wednesday.

The Hangu city police said that unknown terrorists had planted an improvised explosive device at the boundary wall of the house of Asghar Hussain in Shah Rasool area, which exploded at around 1:30am. However, there was no casualty. Police have registered a case against unidentified terrorists and started investigation.