LANDI KOTAL/SWABI, Dec 2: Militants of Tariq Afridi group were forced to flee from their stronghold in Tirah after its rival militant group took control of the Maylo base on Friday after a fierce gun battle.

Sources said that dozens of Taliban slipped out of Maylo village through secret routes on Thursday night after the activists of banned militant organization, Lashkar-i-Islam, took control of the Taliban base in the area. The LI also had the support of Kukikhel volunteers who were opposing the presence of Taliban in their area since long.

LI sources in Bara claimed to have seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from the Taliban base along side laying their hand on a number of mules, donkeys and pick up vehicles. LI sources alleged that Taliban also took along some of the abducted persons they had kept at the base.

Meanwhile, two persons including an activist of LI and a volunteer of Zakhakhel tribal lashkar were killed and three lashkar volunteers injured when the two groups clashed in Bazaar Zakhakhel area on Friday. Sources said that the tribal lashkar claimed to have captured three important bunkers of LI in the area and taken one of their activists hostage.

Meanwhile in Swabi district, a shop selling compact discs (CD) was destroyed and four other shops were partially damaged when a bomb planted by the suspected militants exploded here early Friday, police said. The incident took place in Karnal Sher Kili where Hussain Cassette House in the congested area was targeted. —Dawn Report