LANDI KOTAL, March 6: One of the four khasadars kidnapped six days ago was found dead here on Sunday near Ali Masjid, the place from where he was picked up, the local administration officials said.

The message written on a piece of paper warned the locals not to remove the dead body until midday. The abductors, however, did not disclose their identity nor explained the motive behind killing Khewa Jan.

Unidentified gunmen had kidnapped four khasadar personnel from Ghalanai security checkpost near Ali Masjid on March 1. Whereabouts of the remaining three could not be known as no organisation had so far taken responsibility of the kidnappings.

Meanwhile, Khyber Agency Political Agent Shafeerullah Khan said that a full-fledged military operation would be launched in Bara very soon in order to purge the area of militants and anti-social elements.

Talking to local elders at the launching of plantation campaign in Khyber Agency, he said that the ongoing military operation was confined only to search operation.

He said that the government was ready to remove any misconception in the minds of ordinary tribesmen about the newly established Agency Development Council.

The renewed pledge about a full-scale military operation came at a time when militants had intensified their attacks against government installations and a surge had been witnessed in targeted killing and kidnappings for ransom in Bara sub division in recent days.

While the political agent uttered these stern remarks, militants in Shalobar area took away the broken doors, windows and furniture from a government high school they had destroyed on Friday night and later sold the same to dealers of secondhand items in Bara. The high school was one of the oldest government educational institutions in the area as it was established in 1956 as a primary school and later upgraded to high school level in mid 1990s.

The school was closed since September 2009 when a military operation was started and curfew imposed in most parts of Bara. The students and their parents have long been demanding an end to the operation and reopening of all educational institutions.