LANDI KOTAL: Two soldiers, a suspected militant and four civilians were killed in Khyber Agency’s Bara area on Wednesday. The military has launched an operation against militants in the area.

According to local sources, two men offering evening prayers were killed and two others injured when a mortar shell hit a mosque in Mandi Kas area of Sipah.

Two minor brothers were killed when another stray mortar shell hit the house of an Afghan national, Umar Gul, in Shalobar area.

Four women and two children of a family were severely injured when the house of one Ali Akbar was hit by a shell in Sipah area.

Two soldiers were killed and another injured when militants of the banned Lashkar-i-Islam ambushed an army vehicle in Sipah. One of the militants was killed and two injured in a clash after the attack.

According to security officials, militants used heavy weapons, including mortars, causing civilian casualties.

The Disaster Management Authority of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas said 5,200 families comprising 45,000 people displaced from the region had been registered in Orakzai, Jamrud and Sarband area of Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2014