GHALANAI: Security forces conducted a search operation on Monday and arrested 54 tribesmen under the collective territorial responsibility clause of the FCR, following killing of a pro-government elder in an IED blast.

Assistant Political Agent, Upper Mohmand, Haseeb-ur-Rehman said that the administration called upon the Safi tribesmen to hand over the suspected culprits behind of the IED blast in which tribal elder was killed. However, they failed, prompting the administration to take the punitive action.

Meanwhile, the funeral prayers of the slain elder, Malik Dara Khan, were held at Cheenari village on Monday.

Meanwhile, two shops were gutted on Monday by a fire caused due to electric short-circuit at a market in Kog Pand area in Safi tehsil near the Pak-Afghan border.

While no casualties were reported in the blaze, monetary losses were estimated by locals to be in millions.

Local residents said diesel stored in a shop caught fire due to electricity short-circuit.—Correspondent