KOHAT, April 3 Three truck drivers were kidnapped by unknown armed men from Ustarzai Bala area on the Kohat-Hangu highway on late Thursday night.

The truck was taking marbles to Hangu from Peshawar when armed men opened firing and then took away the drivers to unknown place. The attackers released the owner of the truck Hanif Hussain. The victims were identified as Mujtaba, Jumma Khan and Noor Alam. The report about the kidnapping was lodged on Friday by one Daulat Khan in the Ustarzai police station.Incidents of kidnappings and killings continue on the Kohat-Hangu highway by rival sectarian groups after the abduction of three students from a school van which was coming to Kohat from Hangu last month. Two deadlines given by the affected community had passed but the administration and the elders had not been able to make any headway for the safe release of the students, kidnapped on February 13.

TWO KILLED Two people were killed in separate incidents here on Friday.

The Saddar police said that one Muhammad Tariq was killed by accused Mohammad Shafi, Mubahsir and Noor Mohammad. The police lodged an FIR against them on the complaint of the victim's brother, Mohammad Tahir, and started investigation.

The accused had managed to escape after the crime.

Meanwhile, a motorcyclist was hit and killed by a speeding van on the Peshawar bypass. Mohammad Atif was critically injured in the accident and taken to the KDA Divisional Headquarters Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. City police arrested and registered a case against accused driver.

BOMB DEFUSED The Kohat bomb disposal squad defused a remote-controlled bomb planted at Shindhand here on Friday.

The police said that the 15-kilogram explosive was packed in a plastic bag, attached to a remote-control and battery. The DSP Saddar arrived along with the bomb disposal squad after receiving information and defused the bomb.