PESHAWAR/LADDHA, Nov 26: Three policemen sustained injuries when a roadside improvised explosive device went off at Achini Cross in the provincial capital on Monday.

Officials said that target of the blast was a police patrol van. “The bomb exploded at 12:40pm seconds after the van passed through the area on Achini Road,” they said.

Munsif Khan, a police official, told Dawn that three constables received injuries in the blast but they were in stable condition. He said that the injured policemen included Rehmatullah, Aqeel Ahmed and Luqman. They were rushed to Khyber Teaching Hospital.

Mr Khan said that the police party was led by sub-inspector Behram Khan but he escaped unhurt. He said that the area was sensitive because it was close to Khyber Agency.

The official said that police started search for people involved in the terrorist act but so far no one was arrested.

In South Waziristan Agency, four tribesmen were injured when security forces opened firing on them for violating night curfew in Marghiband area on Sunday.

Sources said that the tribesmen were going to Mandana village from Marghiband. The security personnel opened firing on them when they reached a tunnel near Marghiband at 8pm, inuring all of them, they added.

The injured tribesmen were identified as Mohammad Sher, Nizamuddin, Mohammad Imaran and Abdul Samad. They were shifted to a hospital in Jandola from where Imran and Mohammad Sher were referred to district headquarters hospital in Dera Ismail Khan in critical condition.

Mohammad Sher told Dawn at the hospital that security personnel opened firing on them that continued for more than an hour. He said that government should compensate them as they didn’t commit any crime.