KHAR/CHASADDA, June 2: Unidentified armed persons blew up a high power transmission line in Jar area of Bajaur Agency on Saturday, disrupting supply of electricity to the entire agency.

Ten armed men planted explosives at a tower of 66,000KV power transmission line near the Jar area, locals said.

The explosives went off in the small hours of Saturday and destroyed the tower completely. The explosion was heard in far off areas.

Officials said that administration had launched investigation into the incident.

Locals said that the tower was located outside the village, where a post of Levies Force was established recently. The Levies personnel opened firing after the blast, they added.

Officials said that the administration had decided to beef up security of the high power transmission line in the agency. “For this purpose, more Levies personnel will be deployed at the towers along the power line,” they added.

The local administration and security forces launched a search operation in Jar and its surrounding areas and arrested several persons.

An official told journalists that at least 20 people, majority of them locals, were arrested during the crackdown.

An official of Tesco said that a technical team was called for repair of the tower. He said that the power supply to the agency would remain suspended for the next 36 hours.

This was the second attack on the high power transmission line during the past one week in the region. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, a government school was destroyed when militants fired rockets at Michni area of Shabqadar tehsil in Charsadda district on Saturday morning.

Local sources said that militants fried rockets at government girls primary school at Aisha Koroona near the FC Centre. The school building was destroyed in the attack, they added.

They claimed that actual target of the attack was FC Centre but the rockets missed it and fell on the school.