Landi Kotal (Khyber Agency), 13 June (AKI/DAWN) - Authorities in the Kyber agency which lies in Pakistan's tribal belt along the border with Afghanistan, blew up a multi-storey plaza with dynamite and arrested at least 24 Zakhakhel tribesmen during an operation against activists of the group known as the Lashkar-i-Islam. The four-storey building owned by the commander of the group, Haji Mangal Bagh, came crashing down after two powerful explosives were detonated. The shopkeepers were earlier issued notices to remove their belongings from the plaza which was situated in the centre of the Bara market in Landi Kotal, a small town at the top of the Khyber Pass.
No immediate reaction has so far come from the Lashkar men. However, in a radio broadcast on his FM station, Mangal Bagh said on Sunday night that he had no enmity with the security forces but pledged to continue with his plan for the formation of a peace committee for Bara.
Bara Bazaar and its surroundings were still under siege from the Pakistani paramilitary forces for the third consecutive day. Paramilitary forces could also be seen patrolling on all the roads leading to Bara. The situation, however, remained calm as most Bara residents preferred to remain indoors. |