NORTH and SOUTH WAZIRISTAN / LAKKI MARWAT: Eight people — five security officials and three children — lost their liv­es in three separate incidents in Lakki Marwat, Nor­th and South Waziri­stan districts on Tuesday.

A military officer was martyred in an exchange of fire with militants in North Waziristan, while three soldiers lost their lives in an attack, and 12 others were injured in the South Waziristan district. Separately, a police officer and his three minor nephews lost their lives in Lakki Marwat district on Tuesday.

Captain Muhammad Osama bin Arshad, 24, a resident of Rawalpindi district, was martyred during a fire exchange between security forces and militants in the district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

During the gunfight, the security forces effectively targeted the militants, resulting in the deaths of two militants, the ISPR added.

A sanitisation operation was underway to eliminate any remaining militants in the area. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” it added.

PM Shehbaz Sharif and KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur expressed their grief over the martyrdom of Captain Osama.

Three soldiers martyred

In the South Waziristan district, three soldiers were martyred during an intense exchange of fire with militants, the ISPR said.

It identified the three soldiers as Sepoy Asadullah, 30, a resident of Matiari district; Sepoy Muhammad Sufyan, 28, a resident of Dera Ismail Khan district; and Non-Combatant Bearer Zain Ali, 24, a resident of Bahawalnagar district.

Lakki Marwat attack

In Lakki Marwat, four family members, including a police officer, lost their lives and a minor was injured when unidentified assailants opened fire on their vehicle near Kurram Bridge on the Indus Highway, within the jurisdiction of Dadiwala police station.

“Head Constable Saadullah and his family were travelling to Peshawar from Titterkhel for medical treatment,” an official said. The attackers suddenly emerged and sprayed the car with bullets, injuring the police officer and his three nephews. Two women in the car remained unharmed.

Constable Saadullah, 37, and his nephews — Abdul Rehman, 8; Sufyan, 12; and Sayyam, 12 — were seriously injured in the attack and died on the way to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Serai Naurang town. Another injured minor, Farmanullah, was transferred to a hospital in Peshawar.

Constable Saadullah, who was stationed at the Shaheed Haibat Ali Khan Police Station in Darra Pezu town, hailed from Titterkhel town.

After the incident, a large police contingent arrived at the scene and launched a search operation for the attackers. Counterterrorism department personnel and investigation experts also collected evidence at the crime scene.

The cop’s body was taken to the police lines, where his funeral prayer was offered before being transported to Titterkhel for burial with full official honours. The attack occurred near a dense forest along the Kurram River, known locally as ‘Darga’.

Separately, three women were injured when a mortar shell struck a police officer’s house in Tappi, North Waziristan. Police reported that the injured women were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2024