One dead, three injured in separate attacks on NATO vehicles

Fourth incident was averted after BDU neutralised an IED at a checkpoint.

JAMRUD: “It was the worst day of my life,” said political administration official Ali Sher, who spends his day escorting Nato containers, to The Express Tribune on Monday. Sher was referring to three separate attacks on Nato vehicles in which a man died and three others were injured.

The attacks took place on the Jamrud leg of the Pak-Afghan Highway on Monday morning where a fourth incident was also averted after a bomb was found planted near the supply line and later defused.

“The first attack was carried out on Jamrud Bypass,” said Sher. Unidentified militants on a motorbike intercepted a Nato container supplying goods to foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan. The men ambushed the vehicle, injuring the driver and the cleaner as well as damaging the container.

“Khasadar officials deployed there rushed to the site and opened retaliatory fire, however, the militants had fled,” explained the official. The injured were rushed to Jamrud Civil Hospital from where they were referred to Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC).

“In the second attack, which happened on Rahimabad Pul, militants fired rockets and used assault rifles, killing the cleaner, Inam. Lashbar, the driver, sustained injuries and was taken to HMC in critical condition.

Shifting tactics, militants used an improvised explosive device (IED) for the third attempt, planting it near the roadside and detonating it at the exact moment when a Nato container was moving through Sur Kamar. The ensuing blast damaged the vehicle, but no human loss was reported.

Another IED was discovered near the Hawaldari check post by a khasadar official who called the bomb disposal unit. The bomb was successfully defused.

According to Sher, a search operation was launched shortly after in the areas where the supply line was attacked by militants. Six suspects have been arrested under the collective responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation. An investigation is under way.

Search and seize

The Jamrud political administration imposed a curfew in Shahkas and launched a search operation. As a result, children were unable to make it to school and locals were forced to remain at home. Security forces, khasadar officials and political administration officials arrested 25 suspects who were shifted to Jamrud tehsil for further investigation.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2014.