LANDI KOTAL, Oct 26: Six persons, including three members of different anti-Taliban peace committees and two militants, were killed in separate incidents of violence in Khyber and Bajaur agencies and Tank district on Wednesday.

“The incident took place at Meeran Talab when volunteers of peace committee and activists of Lashkar-i-Islam came face to face as the former were patrolling the area,” they added.

In Tank, a pro-government tribal elder and member of peace committee, was killed along with his host. Police said that Shahabuddin Barki, accompanied by an unidentified associate, was staying at the hujra of Asmathullah Mehsud in Civil Line Colony.

Apparently, the unidentified companion of the tribal elder killed both, Mr Barki and his host, in their sleep. Ghulam Rasool, the father of Mr Mehsud, told police that he rushed to the hujra on hearing gunshots and found both his son and his guest lying in a pool of blood.

Badly injured but breathing they were rushed to a hospital but died on the way. There was no sign of the assailant, who would have fled after committing the crime, he added.

Taliban spokesman Maulvi Farhad claimed responsibility for the murders. Maulvi Farhad called journalists, including Dawn's correspondent in Laddah, by phone from an unspecified location to say that people who worked against Taliban would meet the same fate.

In Bajaur Agency, Malak Rahmat Jan, a pro-government tribal elder and member of peace committee, was killed when militants from across the Afghan border targeted his house with missiles and mortars in Zari area of tehsil Lowi Mamond.

“Malak Rahmat was killed and his house was partially damaged in the attack,” officials of political administration said while confirming the report.

They said that security forces and volunteers of local peace committee retaliated and targeted the locations from where the house of the pro-government tribal elder was attacked.

They said that the attackers fled after heavy firing by the local peace volunteers and security forces. They said that militants residing in Kunar province of neighbouring Afghanistan were attacking the tribal region to target security forces and pro-government tribesmen.

Also, three workers of Frontier Works Organisation were injured when their vehicle was targeted by a landmine on Jandolla-Makeen Road near Manzai Ziarat area on Wednesday.

The workers of the construction company were going to Hathala camp from Jandolla when they met the fatal incident at 8:30am. They were taken to Dera Ismail Khan CMH.

The security forces cordoned off the area soon after the blast and launched a search operation. According to some sources, three suspected persons were arrested by security forces during the operation.

Meanwhile, Khasadar Force arrested an Afghan national at Torkham border in Khyber Agency and recovered arms from his possession. The recovered arms included rocket launchers, mortars and cartridges. He was shifted to Landi Kotal lockup for interrogation.