PARACHINAR: Authorities have issued a terror alert for headquarters of the Kurram Agency, warning tribesmen to be extra vigilant to prevent a possible attack in the area.

“There is a great need for vigilance to keep all sensitive places, including important buildings, hospitals and schools, under strict check,” said the alert notice issued here on Tuesday.

Uncertainty looms large in Kurram Agency following a series of terrorist attacks in the area. Only recently, 74 people were killed and 300 others injured in twin blasts here on June 23.

Officials said that political administration and security agencies issued a ‘red alert’ after receiving reports about a suicide bomber identified as Talha, who walked with a limp as he had lost a leg in an improvised explosive device blast.

They said that the suspected bomber was a member of a banned terrorist group, Jamaatul Ahrar, which had previously claimed responsibility for several terrorist attacks in Kurram valley.

Officials said that the bomber had sneaked into Kurram Agency from Khost province of Afghanistan.

The authorities suggested “extreme vigilance” and said tough security measures should be taken in the region. They also released a photo of the suspected bomber.

Officials of the political administration said that soon after receiving the reports they asked the locals — particularly those residing near the border — to enhance security near their areas, adding that law-enforcement agencies have tightened security in the town.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2017