KOHAT, Aug 16 Five militants and 12 suspects were arrested on Sunday from western parts of the district following a rocket attack on the cantonment area, police said.

A rocket fired at the Kohat Cantonment landed in Bahawalnagar and partially damaged the house of Farhan. The inmates of the house escaped unhurt.

For the past one week the militants had been firing rockets into the city from Bezote area of Orakzai Agency. District Police Officer Dilawar Khan Bangash ordered a search operation after a recent attack. It was conducted in Ustarzai, Ublan, Ghamkol camp, Banda Fateh Khan, Kamal Khel, Tappi and Merozai.

At least five militants belonging to a banned religious organisation and 12 suspects were arrested along with weapons and drugs, according to a press release issued by the police media cell.

It quoted DPO Bangash as saying that most of the suspects were wanted in heinous crimes.

The seizure included three Kalashnikovs, five Kalakovs, seven pistols, two rifles, hundreds of cartridges, 50 bottles of liquor and one and a half kilogram of hashish.

The suspects were handed over to special investigation teams for interrogation.

BAN ON SUGAR MOVEMENT The district coordination officer on Sunday imposed ban on movement of sugar to other districts and its export to Afghanistan to ensure availability of required stocks of the commodity during Ramazan.

He also constituted a special committee to keep an eye on the movement and sale of sugar in the market and register cases against the violators of ban under section 3 MPO.

The assistant coordination officer, assistant food controller and SHO city are members of the committee. They would also check the distribution of sugar in the district by the wholesale dealers.

PROTEST Hundreds of protesters blocked Indus Highway in Lachi tehsil of Kohat district on Sunday against power loadshedding and water shortage in the area.

The protesters marched through the bazaar and held a protest meeting near town committee.

Addressing the protesters, former nazim Fawad Khan and naib nazim Samar Gul criticised Peshawar Electric Supply Company for delaying installation of high power transformer at the Lachi grid station which was burnt two months ago.