MARDAN, May 22: Police and security forces arrested 10 militants in a joint search operation in different areas of the district on Tuesday, sources said.

The operation was conducted in Sawaldher, Chora, Jabbar, Dubai Adda, Guli Bagh, Umarabad, Shakar Tangai, Bashkhali and Surpul areas from 4am to 5:30pm.

They said that a daylong curfew was imposed in those areas. Officials claimed that several hideouts of militants were also destroyed in the operation.

The roads leading to these areas were closed to traffic and residents of the localities were strictly instructed to stay indoors. Sources said that more than 70 suspects were arrested during the house-to-house search operation but later all of them except 10 militants were released after interrogation.

It is pertinent to mention here that these areas were already declared sensitive by the law enforcement agencies.

Few weeks ago, six policemen including the SHO of Rustam police station were injured when their van was targeted with a remote controlled bomb.

In Nowshera, unidentified militants blew up a primary school for girls in the small hours of Tuesday.

Officials said that two explosive devices were planted at the building of Government Community Girls Primary School in Afrido Kallay, Risalpur that went off around 3:30am.

Officials of Bomb Disposal Squad said that three to four kilograms of explosives were used in the blasts that destroyed two classrooms, veranda, room of watchman, boundary wall and store of the school.

Risalpur police arrested the watchman of the school identified as Mir Baz Khan for investigation and lodged an FIR against unidentified militants.

In Bajaur Agency, security forces destroyed houses of four alleged militants and recovered arms and ammunition during a search operation in Chamarkand tehsil on Tuesday.

Sources said that an operation was launched in the border areas of Chamarkand. “The action in these areas was launched with the help of local tribesmen and houses of four militants were destroyed,” said an official.

Sources said that the militants, whose houses were destroyed, were involved in killing of pro-government tribal elders.

Security forces also recovered weapons and explosives from the houses during the operation.