KOHAT, April 20 Two women were killed on Sunday night as militants blew up a house in Kalaya, the headquarters of the Orakzai Agency, to punish a girl and a boy in an honour-related case on late Sunday night

The Darra Taliban had planted explosives in the house of the alleged paramour of the girl where she was also living. The boy had fled the area leaving behind the girl with his parents after the Taliban got involved in the case. The girl, who belongs to the Bezote area, received minor injuries in the blast. She has now been shifted to a safer place by the boy's family.Locals told Dawn by telephone from Kalaya on Monday that a Sunni girl had fled with a Shia man from the Bezote area to Kalaya in the lower Orakzai Agency last month. This had infuriated the Taliban who asked the tribesmen to hand over both the girl and the man for “execution under tribal customs”. The tribesmen had refused after which the Taliban kidnapped a man of the Kalaya tribe and started killing passengers passing through the area.

The victim was given into the custody of Taliban commander of the Orakzai chapter, Hakeeullah Mehsud, by his trusted companion Sakhi. The man was later handed over to commander Tariq Afridi of the Darra Taliban hiding in the Feroze Khel area of Orakzai.

It may be recalled that the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan headed by Baitullah Mehsud and his local commanders in the Orakzai Agency had developed serious differences with Tariq Afridi, who is supported by the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, on the issue.

A reconciliatory jirga was held in the hujra of tribal elder Abdul Jabbar in Feroze Khel where the men of Baitullah Mehsud asked the Darra Taliban to return the man. The Darra Taliban backed out of their commitment to return the kidnapped man. When the men of Baitullah Mehsud were leaving the jirga they were attacked by the Darra Taliban and as a result nine people were killed and one injured.

Both the groups again came face to face after the incident and in exchange of fire an important commander of Baitullah Mehsud, Tariq Mehsud, was killed.

ROBBERS HELD The Rescue 15 police arrested five armed robbers red-handed on Monday.

The Rescue 15 police received a call that robbers were busy in snatching mobile phones and money form people in the posh KDA Town. Police reached the area and chased the accused and exchanged fire with them. The accused later surrendered.

Police recovered two pistols, five cellphone sets, dozens of bullets, five masks and Rs5,000 snatched from different people. Police registered a case against the robbers and sent them to lockup.