PESHAWAR: Three security personnel were killed in a blast on Saturday in North Waziristan's Datakhel district.

The blast was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

According to a security source, the security troops were on a routine patrol when a roadside IED hit their vehicle resulting in the demise of three personnel and injuring three others.

Subsequently, the security forces launched an operation after the blast occurred.

North Waziristan is one of the seven regions in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) governed by tribal laws.

The Taliban used to control all of North Waziristan, a mountainous region that includes the Shawal Valley and runs along the Afghan border. But the military launched an operation there last June and has recaptured most of it.

The army has been waging a major campaign against Taliban and other militant strongholds in the North Waziristan tribal area and authorities have now vowed to intensify operations both in border regions and across the country.