KOHAT, July 18: The security forces foiled a plan of militants to attack Kohat and recovered huge quantity of weapons from a house and a mosque during a clandestine operation here on Monday, sources said.

They said that security forces received information that militants were planning to attack different places in Kohat. The security forces were informed that militants had dumped huge quantity of heavy weapons under the ground in a house and a mosque at Shahu Khel, an area near the border between Hangu and Orakzai Agency, for the purpose, they added.

They said that security forces raided the places but militants managed to escape into the nearby jungle. However, security forces dug the ground in the house and mosque and recovered 75 MMRK guns, 82 MM mortar guns, 86 rockets of MMRK, 29 rockets of 7 RPG, 20 rockets of RRK, huge quantity of automatic weapons and thousands of cartridges of machinegun.

Meanwhile, nine truckers, who were kidnapped from Thall-Parachinar Road in lower Kurram Agency on Sunday, were released by their captors, officials said.

A convoy of trucks coming from Parachinar was attacked on the main road at Charkhel village. The attackers set six trucks on fire and kidnapped 10 drivers. Two others were wounded in the incident.

Sources said that the kidnappers set free nine drivers after interrogation while one was still in their custody.

Meanwhile, the body of an unidentified man was found near Arawali area in lower Kurram on Monday.

In Khyber Agency, a security man and a cook received injuries when unidentified persons attacked the living quarters of Khasadar Force with hand grenades in Landi Kotal Bazaar on Sunday night.

Officials said that unidentified persons hurled hand grenades at the living quarters of khasadars at around midnight. Khasadar Sameed Khan and cook Noor Badshah were injured in the attack, they added. The attackers managed to escape after the attack.

The political administration arrested about 40 shopkeepers of the bazaar under the collective responsibility clause of FRC. However, around 30 of them were released after preliminary investigation.

The local traders have taken serious notice of the arrest of their colleagues and demanded their immediate release.

They demanded of the administration to apprehend all khasadars present inside their living quarters at the time of attack and also take to task those security men, who were posted at the checkpoints around the bazaar.

Meanwhile, security forces arrested three suspect militants during routine patrolling in Sur Ghar area of Bara tehsil. The arrested men were shifted to an army camp for interrogation.

In Akkakgel area, security forces defused a time device planted at a roadside.