LANDI KOTAL/GHALANAI, Sept 17: A soldier was injured when a vehicle of Frontier Corps was targeted with a remote controlled explosive device in Khyber Agency on Saturday.

Local officials said that an explosive device planted along Charbagh Road was detonated by remote control when a vehicle carrying personnel of Khyber Rifles was passing through the area.

They said that a soldier was injured and the vehicle was partially damaged in the blast. Security forces cordoned off the area and fired in the air to scare away the passers-by. A search operation was also conducted in the surrounding areas but no one was arrested.

The bomb attack created panic among the shopkeepers of Landi Kotal bazaar and they pulled down their shutters after firing in the air by the security forces. The bazaar was later reopened.

In Bara, a local peace committee in Azadkhel area torched the houses of two militant commanders.

The peace committee in collaboration with security forces have established checkposts and started patrolling in Akkakhel area to check movements of militants.

In Mohmand Agency, security forces demolished as many as 14 houses of suspected militants during a search operation in Safi tehsil on Saturday.

Sources said that the house of a local journalist, Afzal Safi, was also demolished along with other houses in Garhi village of Safi tehsil during the search operation.

Tribal journalists have expressed concern over the demolition of the house of Afzal Safi and demanded of the political administration tocompensate their colleague immediately.

Meanwhile, security forces distributed food items among 99 families affected by the operation against militants in Lakaro tehsil of the tribal region.