KHAR: Two pro-government tribal elders were killed in separate bomb attacks in Bajaur tribal region on Tuesday.

Malik Mohammad Younas, a leader of the Salarzai Qaumi Lashkar, was killed and his two sons were injured when a bomb went off near his home in Golo Sha area, 9km from here.

Malik Munsif Khan lost his life in a similar attack in Galy area in Lowi Mamund tehsil when he was going home after offering Isha prayers in a mosque.

Six suspects were arrested.

According to administration officials and local people, Malik Younas was going to Ragaan in a car with his sons when a remote-controlled bomb planted by the roadside exploded. The tribal elder was killed and his sons Ijaz Khan and Hazrat Noor suffered injuries.

The injured were taken to the agency headquarters hospital in Khar where condition of one of them was said to be serious.

According to the officials, no suspect has been arrested. But local people said that several people from nearby areas had been detained by the administration under the collective responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulations.

Though no one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast, officials suspect that militants could be involved in it.

The officials said that Malik Younas was actively involved in organising local people against militancy in Salarzai tehsil.

He was one of the brave and committed tribal elders in the region who had contributed to the fight against militants and played a role in forming the Qaumi Lashkar to curb militant activities in the agency, they said.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2015

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