KOHAT, Oct 27 The police and army arrested 13 suspicious persons from different areas of Kohat during a joint search operation on Monday.

The joint operation was carried out in the refugee camps and other parts of the city in its first phase to arrest the suspicious people displaced due to military operation and sectarian violence from Orakzai Agency, Kurram Agency and Darra Adamkhel. The operation was started at 3am and continued till 1pm on Monday.

The army had established a special investigation cell for such people which would interrogate them and decide about their fate. The arrested 13 persons were handed over to military authorities by the police.

The investigation team had prepared a list of all the suspicious people and had made special arrangements to collect their finger prints, all personal details and connection with banned organisations.

Those Afghan refugees who were arrested from Ghamkol and Camp No 2 did not possess valid travelling documents while others picked up from Gulshanabad and Janglekhel were allegedly involved in anti-state activities.

The intelligence agencies had been receiving reports about the involvement of displaced people from Afghanistan and some areas of Pakistan in sectarian clashes and other crimes.

Meanwhile, the district administration on Monday banned display of weapons, pillion riding and use of loudspeakers under section 144 in the district for two months.

District Coordination Officer Sajjad Ahmed imposed section 144 for two months and also banned gathering of five and more people and use of hatred material to maintain peace in the area.

There were reports about the continuous shifting of militants from Matani, Darra Adamkhel, Orakzai Agency, Kurram Agency and Afghanistan which prompted the administration to impose section 144 for such a long period.