CHARSADDA, Feb 26 Four members of a family were killed and a woman was injured in firing by security forces during a raid on a house in the Omarzai area here on Friday morning. The house inmates also resorted to firing, injuring four security personnel.

Jehan Bacha, his two sons Mujahid and Tayyef and close relative Tahir Bacha were killed in the exchange of fire with security forces. The wife of Jehan Bacha was injured.

A security official said the raid was conducted on an intelligence report and during the operation a shootout took place. According to him, the family members had fired first on the security personnel, injuring four of them, who were taken to the CMH in Mardan.

He said the security forces recovered three Kalashnikovs, one pistol and explosives from the house.

The Omarzai police, however, expressed ignorance about the incident.

Later, the people of the area came out of their houses and blocked the Tangi-Charsadda road for six hours in protest, saying the family members were innocent people. They said the victims were businessmen having shops in the Omarzai bazaar, and had no link with any militant group.

They put the bodies of the victims on the road and burnt tyres.

Traders and local people announced three days of mourning. The Omarzai bazaar remained closed.

The Awami National Party and the Pakistan People's Party (Sherpao) also held separate rallies to condemn the incident.

Speaking at his party's rally, former ANP provincial minister Bashir Khan Omarzai, former union council nazim Malak Ashaq Khan and Omarzai ANP secretary general Sirajul Haq held the SHO of Omarzai and the DIGP of Peshawar responsible for the incident.

They demanded registration of an FIR against the SHO, adding they would approach the court to provide justice to the family.

Khurshed Omarzai and Hameed Khan Tarangzai of the PPP-S said if the security forces had taken the local police into confidence the incident would not have occurred.Local leaders of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) and the Jamaat-i-Islami also condemned the incident.