Security men killed, schools blown up in spate of attacks

GHALANAI/KOHAT/LANDI KOTAL: Two security men were killed and two government schools were blown up in different areas of Mohmand Agency on Tuesday.

Sources said that militants attacked a security post in Spaira Sar area of tehsil Ambar in Mohmand Agency with heavy weapons. As a result two security men were killed and six other received injuries. The injured were shifted to Peshawar.

The residents of the area said that exchange of fire between militants and security forces started at 11pm and continued till late night.

In tehsil Safi, militants blew up two government schools and house of a member of local peace committee.

They planted explosive devices at government primary schools for boys and girls in Chenari area of Safi.

The explosives went off with a bang, destroying both the buildings completely. The number of destroyed schools in Mohmand region has reached 73.

Militants also blew up the house of Ali Akbar, a volunteer of peace committee, in Chenari area.

In another incident, militants blew up a school in Bazaar-Zakhakhel area of Landi Kotal in Khyber Agency on Tuesday.

Sources said that explosive device planted in a government primary school for boys went off at around 10am, damaging the building.

This is for the first time that a government school has been targeted at daytime in Khyber Agency. So far militants have destroyed 29 educational institutions in Khyber Agency since the start of military operation in Bara on September 1, 2009.

Nobody has so far claimed responsibility of any of these incidents. Bazaar-Zakhakhel area is considered a stronghold of the banned militant organisation Lashkar-i-Isalm.

Meanwhile, unidentified motorcyclists killed a retired khasadar in Bara on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Hamza Khan.

Meanwhile, Nato military planes violated airspace of Pakistan and intruded into border areas of Gagra, Bazaar-Zakhakhel, Tabai and Tirah valley.

The Nato planes entered Pakistani air space at 3pm and remained for 4:30pm, causing panic among the local residents.

The complete article can be found at Dawn News.

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