PESHAWAR: Three paramilitary soldiers of the Frontier Corps were martyred when an improvised explosive device hit their vehicle in the Sedgai area of North Waziristan near Afghan border on Sunday.

Sources said that the IED was planted near a basic health unit in the area. An FC vehicle was patrolling the area ahead of the movement of a convoy when the blast occurred. Three soldiers lost their lives in the blast which left the vehicle badly damaged.

The martyred soldiers were identified as Naik Inayatullah Khattak, Sepoy Mohsin Ali Turi and Sepoy Sifatullah. Security forces conducted a search operation in the area but no arrest was made.

No group claimed responsibility for the blast.

The upward trend in terrorist attacks on security forces and civilians has put a question mark on the security measures in the tribal region where lull prevails after Operation Zarb-i-Azb against hard core militant outfits ended. The operation was launched in the area in June 2014 and the entire area was secured.

On Dec 12, a second lieutenant and a soldier lost their lives in a terrorist attack in the area. Earlier, six civilians were killed and 11 others wounded in two similar incidents in the area during the current month.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2017