Ied blast: UQM chief survives attack

KHAR: The chief of pro-government Uthmankhel Qaumi Movement (UQM) survived an improvised explosive device (IED) attack on his vehicle near his house in Uthmankhel tehsil of Bajaur Agency on Monday. An official of the political administration said Nasir Khan, who was recently appointed the chief of UQM, was targeted at a little distance from his house. The vehicle was damaged in the explosion, but Khan remained unhurt. The political administration official said levies personnel rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area. He added they launched a search operation, but no one was arrested till the filing of this report. Members and elders of peace committees across Fata have been in the crosshairs of militants in the recent past, with several attacks on them reported of late.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2014.