Five martyred in Tirah blast

BARA: A Levies man and four members of the pro-government peace committee were martyred in a roadside blast in the Lower Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency on Monday, an official said. Salahuddin Ayubi, spokesperson for the Lashkar-e-Islam (LI), a banned terror organisation operating in Khyber Agency, claimed responsibility for the explosion. Muhammad Arif, Assistant Political Agent in Bara, told The News that the members of the peace committee and a Levies man were on a routine patrol in a car at Dars Jummat in the Akakhel area when the vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. The blast, he said, killed five people, including four members of the peace committee and the Levies man. The vehicle was also damaged in the blast, he added. The slain men were identified as Zar Wali, Noor Khan, Gul Nawaz, Tamiz and Levies cop Abdul Mannan. Soon after the blast, the personnel of security forces and Khassadar force cordoned off the area and launched a search operation and arrested several suspects.  It may be mentioned that Lashkar-e-Islam, led by Mangal Bagh, who is reportedly based in Afghanistan, has warned members of the local peace committees to quit such bodies or face consequences.