Two security personnel among three killed in Landikotal blast

 Ashrafuddin Pirzada

 LANDIKOTAL: Two security forces personnel and a civilian were killed while nines others seriously injured in a remote controlled bomb blast in main Landikotal bazaar in Khyber agency, officials said on

 Tuesday.

 Political tehsildar Landikotal, Abdul Nabi, while talking to The News on phone said that unidentified people had concealed the bomb in a floor bag and was placed at Bacha Khan Chowk in Landikotal bazaar. He said that the explosion occurred at 2:15 PM when the business in the bazaar usually reaches its peak. As a result a Levy soldier, Gul Zar,Roza Gul,member of Khasadar forces and a shopkeeper identified as Ikramullah, resident of Ashrafkhel Landikotal were killed on the spot while nine civilians, Yasin, Rakhman,Hikmat,Zakirullah,Ikramullah(2),Abdul Wali, residents of  Landikotal, Muhammad Nawaz and Pir Muhammad, residents of Chitral and Abdullah,resident of Shabqar Peshawar were injured in the blast.

A Khasadar forces private vehicle and another private car which were parked near to the blast site were also damaged, sources said. Shamoon Pirzada, who is dealing cement business in Landikotal bazaar, told The News that he was offering Zuhur prayer when heard a huge blast followed by thick smoke and dust. He said that he rushed to the site saw dead bodies and injured persons who were screaming.

 Another medicines dealer, Usman Khattak, told this scribe that his shop was completely filled with the smoke as his shop is at few yards from the Bacha Khan Chowk where the bomb was placed. He said that

 people shut down all the shops and markets  after the blast and immediately left the bazaar to avoid any other mishaps.

The injured persons were rushed to the agency Headquarters hospital in Landikotal where from three serious ones were rushed to hospitals in Peshawar,hospital sources said.it was learnt that the levy and Khasadar forces personnel were the target as more than ten personnel of the forces have been deployed to organize the flow of traffic in the bazaar, a well-placed source in Landikotal administration told The News on the condition of anonymity.

 It was the first big blast in Landikotal bazaar after the killing of most wanted TTP commander, Qari Kamran, who was killed in Karamna area in Landikotal two days ago.