Shootout at Mingora: Militant killed, two others arrested

Roadside bomb goes off, damages passenger van.

MINGORA:

A militant was killed and two others were arrested in a clash with security forces in Bahrain, a hill resort of Swat, on Sunday.

According to official sources, security forces in Swat received a tip off that a group of militants was trying to enter Bahrian through one of its localities of Balagarh. As security forces took hold of various areas of the resort, they were attacked by the militant group. During the skirmish, a militant, identified as Umarzar, was killed, and two of his accomplices, identified as Amanullah and Gulzar, were taken into custody.

Security officials launched a door-to-door search operation in the area and rounded up over a dozen other suspects. The area was under an undeclared curfew during the search operation.

Meanwhile, a roadside bomb went off in Qilla Gay area of Kabal Tehsil, damaging a passenger van. Kabal police told The Express Tribune that the bomb went off around dusk and damaged windows of a crowded passenger van passing by. No passenger was injured in the blast.

The police said that the sound of the blast was so loud that it was heard even in remote areas of the tehsil. The police suspect that the bomb was planted much earlier and self detonated.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2012.