At least eight militants associated with a banned group were killed on Sunday in a powerful bomb blast in the Astana area of Tirah Valley, Khyber Agency. According to reports, eight militants from the banned Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) group were killed when their own explosive device went off. The LI militants have been engaged in an armed conflict with their rivals from the banned Lashkar-i-Ansar, now renamed as Tauhid-e-Islam since 2004 and the continuing violence has claimed the lives of hundreds of people, including civilians.
Besides fighting against each other, the rival groups are also confronting the security forces, which are carrying out an offensive against local and foreign militants sheltering in the inaccessible Tirah Valley. Separately, two women were killed when a mortar shell landed at a house in the Shandrang area of Bara Tehsil. The mortar shell was reportedly fired by the security forces fighting local militants.
