NORTH WAZIRISTAN: Eight people, including two security personnel and six civilians, were martyred while several others sustained injuries in a string of blasts in three districts — North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Bajaur — on Wednesday.

The security personnel, Lance Naik Ehsan Badshah, 33, resident of Karak, and Lance Naik Sajid Hussain, 30, hailing from Kurram, embraced martyrdom when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off in Razmak area of North Waziristan, according to a statement issued by the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR).

Another explosion in South Waziristan claimed the lives of three persons, including a tribal elder and his son, while three others, including the father of a local JUI-F leader, lost their lives and an equal number were injured in two separate blasts in the Bajaur district.

After the IED blast, the ISPR in a statement claimed that a sanitisation operation was being carried out to eliminate any militants present in the area. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” it added.

In South Waziristan, tribal elder Aslam Noor, his eight-year-old son Hilal Khan and another man identified as Sawab Khan were slain in the Ghundi area explosion. “The bomb was placed on the rooftop of a shop, it went off as soon as Noor arrived at the shop,” Deputy Commissioner Nasir Khan told Dawn.

Noor was conferred a presidential award in 2021 for his fight against foreign militants.

In twin blasts in different parts of Bajaur district, the father of a slain JUI-F local leader and two other men were killed, while three others sustained injuries, officials said.

Abdul Sattar, son of JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Salam Haqqani, was on his way back after attending a funeral when a bomb went off in Mamond Tehsil, locals and police said, adding that Niaz Meen, Ibraheem and Haji Mandroo also sustained injuries in the explosion.

Sattar’s father had also lost his life in a remote-controlled blast in his native town, Damadola, on March 25, 2021.

The injured were later rushed to the district headquarters hospital in Khar town.

In yet another blast in the Peshtoo area near Khar town of Bajaur, 40-year-old Sabz Ali was killed.

Police quoted eyewitnesses as saying that Ali was targeted when he was on his way to Khar bazaar in his vehicle. They said the vehicle was completely destroyed in the explosion. The police claimed to have launched investigation into the roadside blast.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2023