At least three persons were injured after a bomb explosion damaged a police armoured personnel carrier on Monday in Adezai village in the limits of Mattani police station, about 25 km south of Peshawar.
Police officials said that the bomb was remotely-detonated.
Murid Mohammad, an eyewitness who owns an electric repair shop, told The Express Tribune that the blast took place around 9:45pm when the vehicle was patrolling near the Adezai Chowk.
Security forces later cordoned off the area and started a search operation to apprehend the militants.
One of the injured, Abdul Manan, was the peshimam of a local mosque, while the other two were guests of Fazal Malik, the son of the slain leader of Adezai lashkar Haji Abdul Malik. The guests were on their way back to Peshawar when the blast took place, Malik said. He added that this was the third attack in the village in less than 10 days.
Adezai is adjacent to the semi-tribal Darra Adamkhel region and has seen fierce battles between militants and volunteers of a local lashkar over the past two years.
Accusing state authorities of inaction, chief of the Adezai militia Dilawar Khan said that militants are carrying out such criminal acts with impunity and state authorities are doing nothing about it, adding that they are not even permitting the Lashkar to take any action against militants.
He said that there were reports of a suicide bomber’s presence in the area on Sunday but the lashkar has been unable to find him and he is still at large. The lashkar has also received information of an imminent attack by militants on Eid, Khan added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2010.
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