New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS): Thousands of residents of Khesor continued their protest on the third day in the North Waziristan tribal district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), The Express Tribune reported.

The tribesmen are protesting against the killing of a 12-year-old girl during a door-to-door search operation by security forces after an encounter between the Pakistan security forces and militants took place in the area, which left four security personnel dead.

The tribesmen blocked the Pak-Afghan highway near the Elementary College Mir Ali as a protest measure and started a sit-in on Sunday. Due to the blocking of the main highway, thousands of vehicles are stranded and their long lines could be seen on both sides of the roads.

"Small vehicles like motorcars are using the alternative Hiader Khel route while the trucks are stranded for the past three days as there is no alternative route for them," said a local resident while talking to The Express Tribune, adding that a large contingent of police has been deployed near the sit-in.

"Several rounds of negotiations took place between the protesting tribesmen and the district administration without any success," said another local resident.

The protesting tribesmen are demanding a department inquiry into the murder of the child. They are also demanding compensation for the family of the deceased child, he said.

When contacted, the police confirmed the sit-in, saying that all negotiations failed to produce results for the past few days.