KHAR: The political administration of Bajaur Agency on Saturday asked the tribal elders to enhance security of mosques and other public places in their respective areas to prevent any untoward incident during Ramazan.

Sources told Dawn that the fresh directives to the tribal elders came a day after a bomb blast near a mosque in Gat Agra area of Mamond tehisl that left one person dead and two others wounded.

They said that all the elders and members of peace committees across the agency had been informed by the officials verbally or through letters. The local administration confirmed that the steps had been taken to increase security of mosques in the agency.

`We have issued directives to the elders and members of peace committees across the agency to improve security of mosques and expedite efforts to ensure peace in their areas during Ramazan,` an official said. He said thatthe elders had been asked to deploy additional volunteers at mosques and other places in their respective areas.

He said that elders in the border localities had also been advised to expedite efforts for checking activities of miscreants. He revealed that the administration had also banned offering of taraveeh prayer at open places and the elders were asked to comply with the decision. `We don`t want to put the lives of people at risk during the holy month of Ramazan,` he said.

The official claimed that the administration was making all-out efforts to ensure foolproof security in the agency.

He said that additional Levies officials were also deployed at various trade centres and public places to ensure safety of the people.

Meanwhile, the local administration on Saturday took into custody a number of tribesmen in Mamond tehisl in connection with the Friday`s blast. An official said that the people had been arrested under the collective responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation.