MARDAN/PARACHINAR, Jan 26: A watchman was killed and two guards were injured when an explosive device went off outside the residence of a local industrialist at Par Hoti area here on the night between Sunday and Saturday.

Police and bomb disposal squad officials told journalists that unidentified persons had planted an improvised explosive device outside the residence of Haji Samiur Rehman that went off during the night.

A watchman identified as Musa Khan was killed on the spot while two guards -- Khairullah and Umair -- were injured in the blast. The injured guards were shifted to district headquarters hospital for treatment.

The bomb disposal squad officials said that the device weighed at least two kilograms. Hoti police station registered a case against unidentified persons and started investigation.

In Kurram Agency, militants looted passengers and set three vehicles on fire on Saturday, official sources said.

They said that the incident took place in Masozai area of the troubled central tehsi of Kurram Agency. They said that the passengers were coming from Khyber Agency to Kurram Agency in three double-cabin pickup trucks.

Asghar Khan, a passenger, said that around 100 armed men stopped their vehicles in Zara Mela area and snatched cash and other valuables from them.

He said that the armed men set the vehicles on fire after looting the passengers.

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