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Maulvi Omar escapes Bara blast

* 7 die in blast that Namdar’s group claims was caused by missile fired from Afghanistan
* Security official says ground forces targeted building
* Bara calm on 3rd day of operation

BARA: Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar reportedly escaped unhurt from an explosion at a militant compound in Bara, even as security forces continued patrolling on the third day of a government offensive intended to restore the writ of the state in the Khyber Agency.

The explosion, which killed at least seven people and wounded another nine, targeted a compound owned by a supporter of Haji Namdar, chief of the Amr Bil Maroof Wa Nahi Anil Munkar. Namdar’s spokesman Munsif Khan Afridi told Daily Times that Maulvi Omar had been in the compound in an attempt to arrange reconciliation between Haji Namdar and Baitullah Mehsud. Omar escaped unhurt, he added.

A press release issued by the Khyber Agency political agent said that an inquiry had been initiated to ascertain the actual facts of the explosion, as security forces had not fired on the said building.

Missile attack: However, a senior security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the destruction of the house “was part of the ongoing operation. Our ground forces were involved.” Similarly, Namdar told AFP: “It looked like a guided missile strike. It could have been the work of both Pakistani and NATO forces. We will take revenge.” The attack on the compound came a day after the federal government banned three Bara-based militant groups — Lashkar-e-Islam, Ansarul Islam and Amr Bil Maroof Wa Nahi Anil Munkar..

Several locals said they had heard the sound of a hovering aircraft minutes before the attack. According to AP, locals said eight people had been killed.

Calm: Meanwhile, conditions in Bara have started to return to normal on the third day of operations. Most shops reopened and there were signs of resistance to the government action. Despite the blast, most people were calm and did not seem overly concerned.

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