[DAWN] Tears rolled down the cheeks of Sajjad Khan when he saw destroyed houses, markets and government buildings and chopped trees along the road during a visit to his native village in Malakdin Khel area of Bara a week ago.This 26-year-old member of the Khyber Khasadar Force was part of the security team of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
governor, who visited Bara on January 26.
He told Dawn that his family's sprawling compound was hit thrice by mortar shells, which damaged most of the living quarters.
"I've yet to muster some courage to see the destruction," he said.
Sajjad Khan said he heaved a sigh of relief after knowing that no member of the family was present at the compound when mortar shells hit it but at the same time, he was upset over the damage done to the building.
The government school in Kohi Sher Haider, where he had early education, was also destroyed in the attack.
The destruction was so much that he hardly recognised his classrooms.
Militants took along all remains of the building after blowing it up with dynamites some years ago leaving behind only a small mound of rubble.
Looking out from the window of our vehicle while traveling to Fort Salop in Malakdinkhel area via Kohi Bazaar, the Khasadar Force soldier said with a big awe, "Oh my God, they (militants) destroyed this house too, where one of my class fellows lives."
He repeated the sentence at least a dozen times.
The attack also turned some houses of his relatives and family friends into ruins.
"We saw at different places a number of buildings, including mosques and seminaries, in Dogra, Mandai Kas, Nala, Kohi Chowk, Speen Qabar and Alamgudar localities with bullet marks and big holes created by mortar shells," Sajjad Khan said.