Militants kill 8, kidnap dozens in Kurram ambush

Eight people were killed and five wounded Friday when gunmen opened fire on two vehicles carrying Shia Muslims.

Militants ambushed a convoy of vehicles carrying members of an anti-Taliban Shia tribe in Kurram, killing eight and wounding five, tribesmen and government officials said.

The militants also kidnapped nearly 40 people after the attack on the convoy near Bagan, a militant stronghold in the region of Kurram, where Pakistani troops have killed several hundred insurgents in fighting in the past few years.

"It was the convoy of five buses that came under attack in which eight people were killed and five wounded," tribal leader Haji Yousaf told Reuters.

Another elder, Abid-ul-Hussaini, said militants also took with them about 40 passengers and set fire to two buses.

Those killed belonged to the Turi tribe in the Kurram region, whose people have blocked Taliban militants from the Haqqani network - one of the most dangerous Taliban factions - from using their territory to cross into Afghanistan.

Hundreds of people have been killed in clashes between the Turi and their Taliban-backed rivals in recent months.

There have been attempts by Taliban to strike peace deals with the Turi tribe that could give them access to remote strategic areas on the Afghan border.

Government officials in the region confirmed the attack but said they did not have any details about the kidnapping.

The convoy was travelling from Peshawar to Kurram.

Security forces kill 7 in Lower Orakzai

Security forces on Friday targeted militant hideouts and killed seven suspected terrorists in Upper Orakzai Agency.

The forces attacked militant hideouts in Shakartangi, Ghaljo and Mamezai areas of the agency, destroying two of them.

In continuing operations to restore law and order in the region, security forces also arrested several militants.

Militants blow up girls’ schools

Unidentified militants blew up two girls’ primary schools in Khyber Agency on the same day.

The militants targeted Hukum Khan Girls’ School and Azam Khel Primary School with explosives in the Landi Kotal area.

The school buildings were completely destroyed however no casualties were reported in the incidents.

Militants have often targeted schools in the region, 16 of which have been in Landi Kotal alone. A total of 45 schools have been destroyed in Khyber Agency.

Militants arrested in Lower Dir

Security forces rounded up 140 suspects during a search operation in various areas of Lower Dir.

DPO Lower Dir Saleem Marwat said that a mobile van of the security forces was targeted by the unidentified attackers during the operation.

In a remote control blast, two security personnel were killed and two others were injured.

A First Investigation Report (FIR) was registered against the attackers at the Munda Police Station.