MARDAN, Sept 21: A mob protesting against the anti-Islam film in the city on Friday set a church on fire and ransacked public and private property.

Armed with clubs and sticks, the angry protesters torched the building of the Sarhadi Lutheran Church.

They ransacked furniture and equipment in the offices of mobile phone companies, a courier firm and the Mardan postgraduate college.

Awami National Party MNA Himayatullah Mayar said police were responsible for the loss. He said no proper security arrangements had been made to prevent the protesters from damaging the property.DIG Abdullah Khan said police had made adequate security arrangements and deployed a large number of personnel to protect sensitive places in the city.

“We have arrested 50 suspects after the church was torched,” the DIG said, adding FIRs would be registered against those found behind violent incidents after investigation.