A pro-Taliban militant was killed and two others wounded in a botched attempt to blow up the office of a womenÂ’s rights group in Karak, AFP quoted police as saying on Monday. The militants had been trying to plant a bomb at the Khawando Kor (sistersÂ’ home), local police officer Hajit Khan said The bomb exploded prematurely and one militant was killed, Khan said, adding that two injured accomplices had been arrested. The office was not damaged. The trio had taken part in the war against the Soviets in neighbouring Afghanistan in the 1980s and were now supporting the hardline Taliban waging an insurgency there, he said. The group, which has several offices across the NWFP, has been promoting education and increased rights for women in the area.
Separately, eight shops, including a barbershop, were blown up in Bunair districtÂ’s Pirbaba area late on Sunday, APP reported. The barber told reporters that he had received a threatening letter a few days ago asking him not to shave or trim beards.