On the frontier: IED blast injures soldier in Mohmand Agency

Lights out in the agency as another blast damages pylon in Charsadda.

GHALLANAI:

A security force official was injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast near the Pak-Afghan border in Shandara Essa Khel area of Mohmand Agency while another IED was successfully defused by bomb disposal experts.

An official of the political administration of Baizai sub-division, Najam Khan, confirmed the incident and said at noon on Monday, an IED planted by unidentified militants went off on main Shandara-Anargi Road in Baizai, targeting a convoy.

A soldier, identified as Ali Gul, was injured in the blast after which security forces rushed to the site, cordoned off the area, and launched a search operation. During the search, another IED was discovered and successfully defused by officials of the bomb disposal unit (BDU). No one was arrested in the search operation till the filing of this report.

During a jirga in Shandara on Saturday, tribal elders of the area announced their support for security forces in maintaining peace in the area. Elders had said they would stand behind the army in its efforts against militants. They said peace had been restored to the area and locals would like the status quo to remain.

A night curfew is already in place in the area after six Frontier Corps personnel died in a similar IED blast in Tamanzai area of Pandyali tehsil of the agency on May 25.

Damaging infrastructure

Early Monday morning, a 132 kilovolt electricity pylon was damaged in an IED blast in Shabqadar, Charsadda, in the limits of Sro Kalay police station. Power supply to Mohmand Agency was suspended as the damaged pylon supplies electricity to the region.

Meanwhile, a home-made four kilogramme bomb was defused by BDU officials from the same area where the pylon was bombed.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2014.