–4 soldiers injured in North Waziristan IED attack

RAWALPINDI: Three Pakistan Army officers and three soldiers were martyred in separate attacks in Kharkamar area of North Waziristan and Harnai district of Balochistan on the occasion of Eidul Fitr.

According to a statement released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), suspected terrorists targeted a military vehicle through an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted on a roadside.

Three officers and a soldier embraced martyrdom while four soldiers were injured in the attack. Lt Col Rashid Karim Baig, resident of Karimabad, Major Moeez Maqsood Baig, resident of Karachi, Captain Arif Ullah, resident of Lakki Marwat and Lance Havaldar Zaheer, resident of Chakwal were martyred in the attack.

This is the same area where the forces clashed with Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) protesters last month. In the past, the security forces had conducted search operations and arrested a few facilitators from this area. During the last one month, 10 security forces personnel have been martyred while 35 have been injured, including Friday’s figures.

Separately, on Thursday, two Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers were martyred in Harnai district of Balochistan while on Eid patrol duty, said ISPR.

According to the statement by the military’s media wing, “Terrorists targeted FC troops during their patrolling on Eid security duties.”

The martyred soldiers include Sepoy Yar Muhammad, 23, of Kuch District in Sibi and Sepoy Mehtab Khan, 19, from Laki Marwat, said the statement.

The area has been cordoned off and a search operation has begun, the statement further added.

According to sources within the Balochistan Levies, a blast from an IED occurred at around 8:30 am in Harnai’s Khost tehsil. “The personnel were bringing water from the stream where the IED was planted,” sources added.

The bodies of the slain soldiers were taken to District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) Harnai.