DERA ISMAIL KHAN/ LANDI KOTAL, Nov 1: Militants blew up the shrine of saint Syed Allah Dad Shah near Kotal Syedan on Zhob Road, some seven kilometres from here, early Tuesday, local police said.

Many nearby buildings were also damaged when explosives planted alongside the boundary wall of the shrine exploded.

No militant group claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Also in the day, security forces demolished four hideouts and a key base of militants in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency during an operation, while the peace committee of Akakhel pulled down a militant hideout in Madakhel area.

Officials of local administration said four hideouts were located in Nala, Kohi and Mandi Kas areas, adding that the base of Lashkar-i-Islam was destroyed in Shalobar area.

They said forces cordoned off the area and sealed all entry and exit points before the operation.

More than 3,000 families were forced to leave the area on October 21 when security forces began a limited scale search operation in Malakdin Khel and Sipah areas of Bara.

On Tuesday, forces established a check post at the Nala Khwarh house of LI activist Rashid Khan, who is allegedly involved in numerous attacks on security forces in the area.

In Jamrud, the local political administration demolished the house of Stana Gul over his involvement in the kidnapping of a trader.

The khasadar force had recovered a Peshawar trader from the house a week ago.

Meanwhile, four of the kidnapped coal miners were freed by their captors in Kalakhel area in Bara tehsil on Monday, said officials in the area.

They said Saifullah, Zubair Khan, Noor Said Gul and Gul Said were later sent to their hometown, Lakki Marwat.

A month ago, militants kidnapped 37 coal miners from Akkakhel area but later freed three of them on health grounds.

Officials didn’t reveal information provided by the released miners about the kidnappers whose identity has yet to be established.

BODIES HANDED OVER: Militants on Tuesday handed over bodies of three security personnel, who had gone missing after the October 26 attack on a checkpost in Mohmand Agency, to the political administration in the agency headquarters, Ghalanai, after successful talks with a tribal jirga in Atmarkhel area of Baizai tehsil.

The jirga consisting of representatives of Baizai peace committee and tribal elders persuaded militants for the handover of the bodies, which were later shifted to Ghalanai for funeral prayers.