CHARSADDA, Oct 12: Militants from neighbouring Mohmand tribal agency fired rockets and mortars on the Saro Kalli police station in Shabqadar area of Charsadda during the small hours of Wednesday.

Also in the day, Ziarat Khazena area of Mohmand agency and residential areas in Darra Adamkhel came under mortar attack, which left one dead and several injured. Police said over a dozen armed militants fired nine rockets and mortar shells on the Saro Kalli police station on the Mohmand border early on Wednesday, partially damaging the boundary wall. The remaining rockets and mortar shells missed the target and fell outside the premises.

District police officer Charsadda Nisar Marwat told Dawn that he along with heavy contingent of police reached the police station soon after the attack as reinforcement, adding that the exchange of fire between police and militants continued until 3am. He said the attackers began fleeing after the arrival of the reinforcement.

The DPO said no damage to policemen was reported but said he had no idea as to how many militants were killed or wounded in the police firing as they all fled in the dark.

It was the second militant attack on the Saro Kalli police station but in the two attacks, no policeman was hurt.

In Ziarat Khazena, a child was killed and two injured after a mortar shell exploded.

Locals said Sanaullah, Rahimullah and Abdul Hadi suffered critical injuries after an unexploded mortar shell they were playing with set off.

They said the injured children were taken to a hospital in Peshawar where Rahimullah succumbed to his injuries, adding that the condition of the other children was critical.

In Darra Adamkhel, militants attacked residential parts with mortar shells injuring four members of a family, including two children.

At least, 20 mortar shells were fired from a mountain in Bulandara, which links Darra Adamkhel with Orakzai agency. Fifteen shells fell in Thandi Kalay in Akhorwal on the house of Amir Gul Afridi, who along with his wife and two children was critically wounded in the attack. They all were shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar for treatment. The house was partially damaged in the attack.

Five mortar shells were fired in Spina Thana area and Babozay Kalay near the check post of Frontier Constabulary but no damage to human life was reported. The security forces returned the fire forcing militants to flee.