A damaged army vehicle is lifted with a crane at the site of a suicide bomb attack outside the town of Fateh Jang. PHOTO: AFP
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military officers were identified as Lieutenant Colonel Zahir Shah and Lieutenant Colonel Arshad Shaheed.
A suspected suicide bomber attacked a security forces vehicle in Rawalpindi, home to army headquarters, killing five people including two officers, a military source said.
The incident took place in the town of Fateh Jang and the identity of the suicide bomber is not known yet.
"A security forces vehicle was targeted, likely by a suicide bomber near Ternol, Rawalpindi," the source said. "Two officers were martyred and three civilians were killed."
The bodies and the injured were taken to Fateh Jang Tehsil Headquarter Hospital.
Rescue teams from Islamabad and Rawalpindi reached the site of the blast. Police have cordoned off the area and started a search operation. Further investigations into the suicide attack are underway.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have claimed responsibility for the attack according to TTP spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived at the Joint Staff Headquarters in Rawalpindi for the funeral prayers of the officers Wednesday evening. He was accompanied by Water and Power Minister Khwaja Asif.
Earlier, there were reports of four of the deceased being officials of an intelligence agency and the fifth being a motor-cycle rickshaw driver.
COMMENTS (61)
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@Umer:
Another person who thinks he has the God-given right to distribute certificates of patriotism (and we still wonder 'What happened to Pakistan?' )
@Umer:
Can you provide an independent references for both these claims?
@Ch. Allah Daad: It is not interfering in any political aspect... It is number 1 intelligence agency in the world and you should know that and stop blaming without having a proof ....
@Jawaid: Officers are not martyred.... ?? Are you out of your mind . They are defending us.. They have to fight two enemies , one from without and one from within... They are sacrificing their lives for you and you are not even accepting that... I am son of a military officer and I don't think of you as a patriotic person...
@doubt, I am not only confused about who is "martyred" and who is not, am also confused about who is a "Muslim" and who is not!!!!! Maybe the Government should have a debate in Parliament and then include the definition of a Martyr in the constitution, same as they have for the definition of who is not a Muslim in the constitution. Lets keep fighting about Islam while the world progresses. We deserve to become slaves of the West and the civilized society!!!! We are a very pathetic society!!!!
@EnemyBuster!:
"Terrorist have infiltrated in every part of Pakistan because of poor policies and lack of vision."
It is not "poor policies and lack of vision" that is at the root of the terror problem.
As long as Pakistanis live in denial of the truth, terrorism and religious radicalism in Pakistan will continue to mushroom. The truth is that the military establishment actively created, trained and nurtured these terrorists as part of its "bleed India" and Afghan strategic depth geopolitical games. One can't raise snakes in the backyard and hope that they will only bit the neighbors. The terrible truth is that Pakistan is now reaping what its military establishment sowed couple of decades ago.
Truth always comes back to bite.
It is truly sad and pathetic how instead of mourning for the souls who lost their lives, the commenters here are instead eager to cast further divisions by starting civil vs. military and other debates. All are shaheed... all are martyrs... all were brutally murdered by the TTP terror machine. Let's all unite against it rather than picking on useless issues. The bottom line is that our citizens were murdered in cold blood by a mercenary force that must be destroyed.
@Concerned Citizen:::I do not want to start a debate over it but I must say that the wording of the said report did hurt my feelings as a civilian.Army personnel's lives are very valuable but commoners too are sacrificing equally in this uncalled for war of others
Salaam to our Brave Soldiers!
May Allah confer highest place in paradise for Shaheed Col Zahid, col Arshad and soldiers in today,s suicidal attack. In fact such attacks cannot demoralize Pak Army strength against such forces who want to weak Pakistan internally. We as nation are stand in back of our Army and their brave soldiers. Whenever our Army and country demands our lives inshAllah from child to old citizen will scarify his/her blood for existence.
Pak Army Zindabad.
Your report says:
Officers martyred, civilians killed. :) Good, rulers ought to be distinguished.
It is not a case of shaheed or not?It is a question of terrorist vs Pakistan?And it is a question to JI/PTI/IK combo.
Salute Pakistan Army for your sacrifices. Please continue your efforts to kill all these terrorists.
Taliban philosophy is a widespread phenomena in Pakistan with perhaps millions of sleeper cells.
Almost everyone is talking of KILLING, demanding KILLING and most probably prepared to KILL............with more and more upward trend!
For the sake of enlightenment one should critically study Sunan Ibn Majah and above all The chapter on legal punishments. The Islamic jurisprudence knows no mercy......e.g. chopping off the neck because of grown public hair!
In case of sodomy, it is written, kill the above one and then kill the lower one!
What would be the male population of Pakistan across the river Attock if this Talibani law applied? Perhaps near to ZERO
INNA LILLAH WA INNA ELEHI RAJEON... MAY ALLAH KEEP OUR NATION UNITED IN THIS CRISIS SITUATION.....
dear all. please refrain from declaring some shaheed or dead, we should support the grieved family and convey our prayers for all shaheed because of that kharij suicide bomber.. may Allah keep the departed soul in top places of heaven, ameen
@Umer: Operation in Punjab - NO WAY. Military operation involves bombing which kill innocent people. In Punjab all civilians are innocent and should be protected. In other regions, there are militants and the whole area should be wiped out. A good strategy or a bad one? I wonder
Regarding the confusing statement “Two officers were martyred and three civilians were killed.” which is apparently used to incite rift between Army and Civilians,
DG ISPR has clearly mentioned in his official tweet, "2 military offrs and 3 civilians embraced Shahadat". https://twitter.com/AsimBajwaISPR
This clears the confusion.
First and foremost our hearts go out to the family members and friends of the two military officers and civilians martyred. We understand that these are very difficult times for them and at the same time we strongly condemn this senseless attack. These is no justification for suicide attacks; religiously or morally. The enemy should understand that these coward acts cannot deter the resolve for peace by the people of Pakistan or its military. Rest assured that the perpetrators of these attacks will be tracked and hunted down. We stand united with the people of the region who have already rejected these terrorists in strongest of ways. Together we are working to bring about terror free sustained peace in the entire region.
Abdul Quddus DET- United States Central Command
@QB:
A person in Uniform in on duty...thtz y...!!
But they should also call the others shaheed no debate about tht...our news agency is still in learning phase... Regards
@Shah (Berlin): Should I translate in some other language or you should read this idiomatic Phrase : Node to the wise and rode to the otherwise,, I have mentioned high value properties purchaser not refugee camp owners... I pointed out people with black money,, and any one with black money doesn't live in refugee camp..
Well according to Jamaat Islami faujis are not shaheed but terrorists are.
RIP fellow pakistani brothers. Shaheed ki jo mot hai wo qaum ki hayat hai. These murderers can never win like this by killing us like this. But I m petty surprised by the jokes people making here in comments. They are more interested in taking ET mistakes out than any condolences or showing their anger. May Allah keep our faith alive and keep all of safe.
“Two officers were martyred and three civilians were killed.” Strange logic.
May allah give the families of the deceased the strength to cope with their loss. And the people who keep on harping that this is not our war... The time is coming when we will all be out of excuses and i just pray it is not too late for Pakistan's sake. I'd also like to see the vast majority of the people, who come out and show support to the army when it is attacked in media, to show same fire and patriotism when it is attacked like it is today - across the border shelling and this suicide attack.
@enemy buster, Nothing wrong with that we are all afghans bro....
Why our rulers still requesting for peace talks yet? Just launch full scale operation against these wild beast and wipe them out.
@stone code: You noticed it! The benefit of 'martydom' is given by the military commander to the soldiers who are trained to kill and not meant for civilians innocents who are regarde a collateral damage. It has no divine implications and is more or less similar what the Vatican gives to christian followers. .
Rex Minor
“Two officers were martyred and three civilians were killed.”
Civilians are not martyred but killed??
@EnemyBuster!:
I think you never went to Islamabad or Rawalpindi. There is a whole Sector of disperse Afghans refugees..please research before commenting Theories....!!!
comment post kar do
4 fouji halak ho gaye, as they say for indian soldiers who get killed by terrorist in kashmir
Terrorist are able to do this because there is no punishment and accountability. Before at least there used to be swift justice whenever somebody even think of doing some thing like this to forces, now even they could not do court martial and punish.
I think Taliban should be moved to Punjab as Punjabis like them.
Why can't we just use the word "shaheed" or "martyred" for the people, particularly soldiers who lose their lives in this war. Do we have any doubts about that? It's time we start respecting our people who are laying down their lives.
Million Salutes Martyred of the Nation
What kind of this intelligence agency is this? A third rate suicide bomber knows the route and schedule of its top officers. I hope it investigates about this leak and It should also focus on its real job and stop interfering in political affairs.
I hope these deaths help convince our generals that fire is fire; there is no such thing as hot fire and not-so-hot fire. The best policy is not to play with fire period. SImilarly, a militant is a militant, there is no such thing as 'good militant' (the one that goes from Pakistan and kills in India, Afghanistan, Iran, or China) and 'bad militant' (the one who kills Pak Army personnel in Fateh Jung). Pull the plug on this 35 year old policy of recruiting, training, arming, financing, sheltering and feeding militants of all kinds ( the way things were back in 1977).
Wow even Rawalpindi is not safe for military, what to say of civilians. When will there be an operation in Punjab?
Everyone including me is confused about the difference between martyr and killed. This war has made us all ask ourselves who is martyr and who isnt!
“Two officers were martyred and three civilians were killed.” Shame on you ISPR! It should be “Two officers were killeded and three civilians were martyred.” as army is solely responsible for this terrorism mess.
Hamid Mir getting shot was a bigger news for this media. These unsung hereos will be forgotten because they protect us in the dark. They are our Dark Knights. We never thank them and will easily forget them.
"Two officers were martyred and three civilians were killed"----- Seriously "KILLED". Aren't civilians martyrs?
“Two officers were martyred and three civilians were killed.”
The headline said no lives lost when I posted my comment
“Two officers were martyred and three civilians were killed.” @ ET: why such discrimination...
And @Yasir Jafri himself serves in the Intelligence that is why he knows all this, right?
Please don't make statements thinking they are right just because you feel they are right!
@hassan: All the men were from agency apart from the suicide bomber!
How did they know which double cabin is carrying intelligence personal? I am sure intel came from within the agency! Terrorist scum have a lot of support inside our agencies who made these Taliban in the first place!
“Two officers were martyred and three civilians were killed.” Can Army Officers be only martyred and not the civilians? They are martyrs too ET!
“Two officers were martyred and three civilians were killed.”
These talibans must be followed and killed there should be no talk. Kill them and their relatives becuase they are equally responsible for these attacks. Their relatives must be arrested to know the where about of these renegades so as to capture them - because they know where they are.
@ ET. It is not 4 intelligence officials. two officials and three civilians have been killed.
RIP Pak Army Shaheeds.
We will never forget your sacrifice.
Terrorist have infiltrated in every part of Pakistan because of poor policies and lack of vision. In capital and Rawalpindi, now there are fewer natives then the people who have come from tribal areas and Afghanistan. How can anyone purchase high value properties without having any business or source of income, which majority does not seem to have… Zara sochia
@Racer - because the 'suicide' of your beloved is no loss
@Racer: What do you think "killing at least four officials" means?
4 people died heading says@Racer:
@Racer are you daft? The headline says 4 intelligence agency officials are dead. Since it was suicide attack, one can infer that the person who perpetrated that attack is also dead. Therefore at least 5 people are dead.
Raymond davis network showing its colors again in order to justify NWA Ops. Dirty Wars
The military is not willing to accept publicly that all the attacks on its installations have come from within. Intelligence is being provided to Taliban by defectors and traitors. Unless military accepts this these kinds of attacks will happen continuously.
If it was a "suicide" attack, how come no lives were lost?