KOHAT, Nov 17: Police claimed to have arrested 30 criminals and suspected militants including two most wanted fugitives in an operation in various parts of the district during the last 24 hours, besides seizing huge quantity of weapons and drugs.

The operation was conducted in Jarma, Tappi, Shakardarra, Mohammadzai, Lachi, Sheikhan, Nandraka, Waarshand, Darmalak, Qamar Dhand and Gumbat union councils. The seizure included four Kalashnikovs, two Kalakovs, 12 rifles, 250 cartridges, 10 pistols, six kilogram hashish and 40 bottles of home made liquor.

The operation clean up was ordered by District Police Officer Abdullah Khan during which drug smugglers, Hussain Shah, resident of Sheikhan and Gul Rehman and Basit Khan of Darmalak were arrested.

Besides, two fugitives identified as Naseer Azam, resident of Lachi Town and Azam of Mohammadzai were also captured. The suspected militants held during the operation included Azeem Khan, Tahir Ali, Jumma Khan, Mubasshar and Shah Behram. The operation began early Sunday morning and continued till evening.

TERROR BID: Police foiled a terrorist attempt and defused a rocket planted by militants near the Army Golf Club on Monday.

The bomb disposal squad reached the scene along with Rescue 15 staff after receiving report that a rocket had been planted near the golf club. The rocket was identified as 107 MM, used in multi barrel launchers. It was connected to batteries and detonators.

Officials said that earlier a rocket was fired from the same site at Kohat Cantonment on late Sunday night. The other one could not be fired due to technical fault and was timely defused by the bomb disposal squad.

KURRAM ELDERS: Elders of the displaced families of Kurram Agency have said that early compensation should be paid to the people who lost their houses and businesses during clashes between rival groups in Parachinar and other parts of the tribal region. An elder, Attaullah Khan, told Dawn on Monday that the residents of Parachinar city had suffered losses worth billions of rupees owing to unrest in the area.

He said that a meeting of Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat was held in Kohat on Monday to discuss the problems faced by the people of Kurram Agency, particularly Parachinar. The participants of the meeting expressed confidence in the 50-member jirga, which had opened Parachinar road for food shipments only. He said that a separate jirga would be held in Sadda tehsil of Kurram Agency on Friday to discuss the reopening of the road for tribesmen also.

He demanded that the government should provide food to all the tribesmen trapped in the mountains of far flung areas for the last one year.

Haji Sawab Gul, another elder, said that displaced tribesmen would be allowed to return to their areas in Kurram Agency after the clearance of mines planted by the security forces, which was expected to take at least five to six days.

Presently Parachinar road had been opened for the transportation of only food to the Kurram Agency and residents were awaiting the green signal from the jirga members and the administration to return to their homes.

He said that the rehabilitation of displaced people would take several months because of the distribution of compensation amount and construction of buildings.