Hunt for kidnappers: Four troops martyred in Kurram IED attack

Troops were part of search party locating handlers of recently freed Canadian-American family

PARACHINAR: An army officer and three Frontier Corps personnel were martyred as three IEDs exploded in the border village of Kharlachi in the Kurram Agency, prompting security forces to shut the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Sunday.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations, the military’s media wing, the border security forces were looking for accomplices of the men that kidnapped a Canadian-American family rescued by Pakistan Army on Thursday. The FC men were near the border check-post of Kewra when a powerful blast occurred.

Political administration officials told The Express Tribune that when security forces were heading toward the blast site, another blast took place.

Capt Husnain Ali and sepoys Saeed Baz, Juma Gul and Qadar Khan were martyred in the attack.

Three of the injured — Anwar, Zahir, and Sher Afzal — were airlifted to Parachinar.



The bodies of the martyrs were airlifted to their native villages. The political administration moved to close the border and mounted a search operation in bordering villages.

Dozens of suspects were arrested in these operations.

Meanwhile, funeral prayers for Capt Hasnain and the jawans were offered at the FC Ground in Parachinar.

Local elders, officials of the political administration and top-ranking officers stationed in the agency attended the funeral prayers.

Political leaders and religious scholars condemned the attack on security forces and called for awarding exemplary punishment on those found to be involved in the attack.

On September 17, Tehsildar Fawad Ali and five of his guards were martyred in Bajaur Agency after the Taliban targeted their vehicle with a remote-controlled IED.

Martyred soldiers. PHOTO: ISPR