May 20, 2007	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 03, 1428

LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), May 19: Activists of the Lashkar-i-Islam on Friday looted and set on fire 10 houses in Bara tehsil, residents of Shalobar area said on Saturday.

Heavily armed Lashkar men also clashed with Ansaar-i-Islam supporters in Shah Kot area, some 25 kilometres west of Bara town.

However, no details of any loss of life or damage to property in the fresh fighting were available.

According to reports, Lashkar-i-Islam leader Mangal Bagh was present in the area and commanding his fighters.

A resident of Shalobar, Sabir Khan, told Dawn on Saturday that four houses of his family comprising 35 rooms and a hujra (guest house) were torched by the Lashkar activists after the entire household items were looted.

He alleged that a Subedar of the Bara Khasadar force, Sher Mir, who was sent to the area to prevent the Lashkar men from demolishing the houses, also took part in the loot and plunder.

Sabir Khan said that his family had no ideological differences with the Lashkar-i-Islam and added that he had offered to remove any misunderstandings at a jirga.

He said that they were punished for having links with the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam as the Lashkar leaders wanted them to remove the JUI flags from their houses and hoist the black flag of the Lashkar-i-Islam.

Armed activists of the Lashkar destroyed another six houses of their opponents in different localities of Shalobar with the local administration acting as spectators.

Local residents said that they had two Khasadar check posts near their houses but the force deputed at the check posts turned a blind eye when their houses were looted and burned.

In Shah Kot, activists of Lashkar and Ansaar have taken positions on hilltops. Sources said that the two groups used heavy weapons against each other.