Militants destroy girls’ school in Khyber

By Ibrahim Shinwari

LANDI KOTAL: Militants destroyed another girls school on Tuesday night in Bara subdivision of Khyber Agency, officials said.

They said that militants overpowered the watchmen of Sheen Akhbar Kallay Government Girls Middle School in Baz Garha and then planted explosives at the boundary wall.

The explosion caused partial damage to the boundary wall of the school, they said, adding that no damage was caused to the main building. No body has so far claimed responsibility for the incident.

Militants have so far destroyed seven educational institutions, including three for girls, in Khyber tribal region during the last one and half month.

Meanwhile, security forces arrested at least five suspected militants including an important commander of Lashkar-i-Islam. They also took two vehicles into their custody in different localities of Bara on Wednesday.

Officials said that Hati Khan, the Lashkar-i-Islam commander in Akkakhel, along with his son and two nephews was arrested from Akkakhel during a search operation. Security forces took into their custody two vehicles from an auto workshop in Shalobar and arrested an auto mechanic.

Security forces also defused an improvised explosive device planted at roadside in Akkakhel.

In Jamrud, the local political administration sentenced an accused to 14 years imprisonment and Rs400,000 fine under Frontier Crimes Regulation.

The convict identified as Badar Abbass belonged to Attock district of Punjab. He was blamed for many crimes including murders, kidnapping and robberies cases.

Officials said that he was declared absconder by an Attock court in a murder of cases few years ago and he had joined a criminal gang in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency since then. The accused has reportedly admitted his involvement in two high profile kidnapping cases including an auto parts dealer and an Afghan trader in recent past.
Source: Dawn
Date:12/24/2009