LANDI KOTAL: Militants shot dead a peace volunteer and injured another in Tirah valley on Saturday.

Sources said that volunteers of a pro-government group, Tauheed ul Islam, were busy fortifying their bunkers atop a hillock in Nari Baba area when they were fired upon by militants of the banned Lashkar-i-Islam outfit.

One volunteer was 1(illed on the spot while another was critically injured who was shifted to a local hospital.

Meanwhile, security forces on Saturday took into custody at least 39 tribesmen during a search operation in Shah Kas area of Jamrud. All the arrested men belonged to Katiakhel tribe who were shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

On the other hand, security forces seized huge quantity of explosives during a raid on an underground bunker in Akkakhel area of Bara. The explosives were later detonated at an open area.

ELDERS: Elders from the Bar Qambar Khel tribe of Bara have announced their unconditional support to the government and security forces for establishing lasting peace in their area.

An assurance to this effect came on Saturday during a meeting with Khyber Agency political agent Shahab Ali. The elders vowed that no banned organisation would be allowed to operate in their area nor would they be permitted to run a parallel administration.

Present on the occasion were Abdul Latif Afridi, Imran Afridi, Munsif Ali Khan, Haji Wajid Afridi, Haji Shamsher, Haji Shaukat and Haji Badshah, who said that almost all government buildings in their area were safe and that they never challenged the government writ.

They said that in keeping with the Afridi tribe traditions, the Bar Qambar Khels would soon form its own `Qaumi Sareshtha` (liaison committees) to assist the local administration in resolving their internal issues and discouraging the outlawed groups to use their soil for any anti-state activity. -Correspondent