BATKHELA/GHALANAI, March 21: Two young girls were killed when an explosive device, they were playing with, went off in a house in Sakhakot area of Malakand on Thursday.

Levies officials said that the device exploded in the house of Zarwali in Ghundo Payan village of Sakhakot. They said that Shumaila, 10-year-old daughter of Dawar Khan, and Sumera, 12-year-old daughter of Abdul Ghani, were killed in the blast. The officials said that Sumera’s family had come from Mardan to visit the family of Zarwali.

Quoting relatives of Zarwali, Levies post commander Ameer Zaman said that an elderly woman of the family found a bottle-like device in the fields few days ago and brought it to home. He said that at the time of the occurrence, the girls were playing with the bottle when it exploded, killing them on the spot.

In Mohmand Agency, security forces arrested at least 11 suspects and recovered explosives and other items used in bomb making during a search operation in Safi tehsil on Thursday.

According to officials, the search operation was launched in Qandahari, Bejing, Mall Khana Ziarat, Aman Kot and Spinki Tangi areas. They said that security forces recovered at least 100 kilograms of explosives and other item used in bomb making.

The officials said that 11 suspects were also arrested during the operation. They said that two of the suspects were arrested in injured condition as security forces opened firing on them. They were shifted to a local hospital. The other suspects were shifted to Ghalanai for interrogation.