KHAR: A policeman was martyred and three others were injured in two roadside bomb explosions in remote Salarzai tehsil of Bajaur tribal district on Sunday evening.

Official sources said both the explosions happened in Dara area, a hilly locality in Salarzai.

The first blast targeted a patrol of Khyber Scouts, wounding two personnel identified as Naik Zalik Khan and Arshad Khan.

Following the blast, two policemen, Waqib Khan and Shaukatullah, who were coming to the blast site to help the wounded colleagues, were also targeted by another bomb blast.

The sources said Waqib died on the spot, while Shaukatullah was critically wounded.

After the explosions, personnel of security forces moved to the area to take the wounded and the deceased to the district headquarters hospital, Khar. Later, two personnel were airlifted to CMH Peshawar due to their precious condition.

Soon after the incident, the security forces also launched a search operation in the area to hunt the miscreants responsible for the blasts.

No one had claimed responsibility of the twin blasts till filing of this report late on Sunday evening.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2020