Kurram Agency: Three killed, as many injured in separate blasts

At least 10 suspects arrested, four shops sealed in subsequent search operation.

PARACHINAR:

Three people were killed and three others were injured in two separate blasts in Kurram Agency on Tuesday morning.

A political administration official said the first incident took place in Kharoti area near the Pak-Afghan border in Upper Kurram at around 7am. An improvised explosive device (IED) planted by unidentified militants along Hamzai Road went off near a car carrying passengers to Parachinar, killing three people and critically injuring two others. The vehicle was completely destroyed, added the official.



The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, from where one of them was referred to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar. The deceased were identified as Sakhi Zaman, Hamid Jan and a woman whose name was not divulged.

The second explosion occurred in Yousaf Khel area of Pewar, shared the official. He added a landmine blew up, injuring a person identified as Abid. He said the political administration has filed a case against unidentified militants and launched a search operation to nab the culprits. The official said at least 10 suspects have been arrested and four shops sealed in both areas under the collective responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR).

Meanwhile, a third landmine explosion also occurred in Central Kurram, but fortunately no casualties were reported.



On November 28, a tribesman was severely injured when a landmine planted by unidentified militants went off in Mali Khel area of Tor Ghar in Upper Kurram. A number of locals and security officials have been killed while others have lost their limbs in similar incidents in the agency this year.

The landmines are usually planted along the road to target convoys of security forces, while security forces sometimes plant mines near check posts to deter militant attacks. Some are also left over from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2013.