Two soldiers, policeman martyred in North Waziristan suicide bombing

Civilian also fell victim to the suicide bomber, who intended to target a public gathering to cause mass casualties

RAWALPINDI:

Two soldiers of the Pakistan Army and a policeman were martyred on Wednesday in a suicide bombing in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan district.

The suicide bomber, driving a vehicle, also claimed the life of an innocent civilian, according to the press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.

The martyred soldiers have been identified as Naik Said Ullah Shah, a 33-year-old resident of Charsadda, and Sepoy Jawad Khan, a 31-year-old resident of District Haripur.

Police Constable Hakeem Jan, a resident of North Waziristan district, from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police department, also fell victim to the attack.

According to the ISPR press release, the suicide bomber intended to target a public gathering to cause mass casualties.

Also read Four martyred in ‘suicide bombing’ at North Waziristan checkpost

However, a major catastrophe was averted due to the swift response from the security forces who intercepted the suspicious vehicle.

In doing so, these brave men laid down their lives, preventing the bomber from reaching a highly populated area and thereby saving countless innocent lives, the ISPR said.

In the wake of this tragic event, the ISPR has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating the menace of terrorism from the country.

"Security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers and innocent citizens further strengthen our resolve," the military’s media stated.

Earlier on Wednesday, at least four other people, including three security personnel, were martyred in a blast targetting the Liaquat Checkpost in Datta Khel tehsil of Miran Shah.

The country has witnessed a spike in bombings and terrorist attacks in recent months.

On May 19, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Amir Sirajul Haq’s convoy was hit by a bomb attack in Balochistan’s Zhob district. While the JI leader narrowly escaped the alleged suicide bombing, at least four people were injured, and his vehicle was partly damaged. Law enforcement authorities claimed that the attacker’s body was found at the site of the blast.

In December 2022, at least three people were killed and five others were injured after a suspected suicide bomber blew himself up in North Waziristan's Miranshah town. Government sources stated that most of the casualties were pedestrians in the area. An investigation was initiated by law enforcement personnel in addition to a search operation in the area. The suspected attacker was riding a motorcycle. However, there were conflicting reports regarding the target.