MIRAMSHAH: Two more soldiers were martyred and three others injured in a remote-controlled bomb explosion on Saturday in the same area of North Waziristan tribal district where three army officers and a soldier laid down their lives in an attack a day earlier.

According to official sources, the security personnel were on routine patrolling at Degan locality in the Kharqamar area, at least 10km off here, when a remote-controlled bomb planted along the road exploded, hitting their vehicle.

As a result of the explosion, Naib Subedar Noor Mohammad and Sepoy Raza Mohammad were martyred and Waqas, Rahat and Saddam suffered injuries.

The bodies and the injured were shifted to a nearby military hospital.

The casualties were caused by a remote-controlled bomb blast in the same area where three army officers and a soldier lost their lives in an attack on Friday

The security forces encircled the area and launched a search operation to trace the attackers. Curfew was clamped down on the area.

Funeral prayers

Captain Arifullah Marwat, who embraced martyrdom in Friday’s attack, was laid to rest with full military honours in Lakki Marwat on Saturday.

He was the son of renowned educationist and retired college principal Shah Daraz Khan Marwat.

The coffin of the martyred army officer draped in the national flag was brought to his native village Tajazai where he was laid to rest. An army contingent presented a salute to him.

General Officer Commanding Asad Nawaz, civil and military officials and a large number of people from different walks of life attended the funeral prayers.

Later, military officials placed wreaths on the grave of the martyred officer.

Funeral prayers for Major Moeez Maqsood Baig, who was also martyred in Friday’s attack, were held in Karachi.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Corps Commander Lieutenant General Humayun Aziz, senior officers and personnel of the army, Pakistan Rangers, Sindh police and a large number of area people attended the prayers.

Later, the martyred officer was laid to rest in Mohammad Shah graveyard in North Karachi. The Karachi corps commander laid a wreath on his grave on behalf of Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and offered Fateha.

Unidentified assailants placed an IED (improvised explosive device) on the roadside in the Doga Macha Madakhel area of Dattakhel tehsil in North Waziristan tribal district on Friday. The IED went off when a military vehicle was passing through the area, leaving three officers and a soldier martyred and four other soldiers injured.

The Inter-Services Public Relations in a statement issued on Friday identified the martyrs as Lt Col Raashid Karim Baig from Hunza, Major Moeez Maqsood Baig from Karachi, Captain Arifullah from Lakki Marwat and Lance Havaldar Zaheer from Chakwal.

Our correspondent from Lakki Marwat and staff reporter from Karachi also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2019