At least four martyred in Mir Ali suicide attack

At least three security personnel and a civilian were martyred, while seven security personnel sustained serious injuries in a suicide attack on a convoy of security forces in the Mir Ali tehsil of North Waziristan district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, police said on Monday.

North Waziristan District Police Officer (DPO) Farhan Khan confirmed that it was a suicide attack on a convoy of security forces near the Patsi Adda area. The convoy was heading towards Bannu from Miranshah, the official said.

The suicide attacker came in a rickshaw, Farhan said. When the convoy came within range, the attacker rammed his rickshaw into the vehicle of security forces, causing an explosion, he added. “Four people were martyred and seven security personnel seriously injured,” he said.

The martyred security personnel were identified as Sepoy Nabi Jan, Naik Nazirullah and Lance Naik Syed Ghani. A civilian, Nawab Khan, was also martyred in the attack, the DPO said. The martyred and the injured were shifted to Mir Ali Hospital, while security forces surrounded the area and started a search operation, he added.

Separately, the police said unidentified armed culprits opened fire at a police party, injuring several officials including DSP Pir Syed, during a search operation in the upper area of Matta tehsil of Swat.

According to the police, more personnel and an ambulance reached the area.
On the other hand, according to local sources, a group of armed men kidnapped four policemen and took them to an undisclosed location.