18 soldiers martyred in two KP attacks: report

PESHAWAR/ BANNU: A suicide attack in northwest Pakistan martyred 10 soldiers Tuesday evening, an intelligence source told AFP, after another attack less than a day earlier left eight martyred in the region bordering Afghanistan.

“A suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden vehicle near the checkpoint, after which his accomplices opened fire,” an intelligence official said of the latest attack in Bannu.

“As of the latest updates, 10 people have been killed and seven injured in the attack,” he said.

The official said that the explosion “caused significant damage” to the Mali Khel checkpoint’s structure as well as to military vehicles.

The Hafiz Gul Bahadur armed group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The bombing occurred less than 24 hours after another attack, also in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, according to another official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, seven cops, who were kidnapped from the Rocha post in the Ahmadzai subdivision on Monday, have been safely recovered following successful negotiations facilitated by the local tribal elders, according to officials.

A jirga comprising tribal elders held discussions with the armed abductors at an undisclosed location. The negotiations concluded successfully, leading to unconditional release of the cops. District Police Officer Ziauddin Ahmad said the cops were released without any ransom or conditions. Tribal elders played a key role in resolving the situation peacefully.

In a related development, two security personnel were injured when militants attacked a security checkpoint in the Janikhel area, Bannu, while a barber shop was blown up in the Sardikhel area, sources said.

The sources said that militants targeted the security checkpoint with rockets, injuring two security personnel. The attack led to an exchange of gunfire between the attackers and security forces. Unidentified people planted explosives near a barber shop in Sardikhel, which detonated with a blast, damaging the shop. No casualties were reported in the explosion.

Meanwhile, as many as 8 soldiers were martyred along with the killing of “nine militants” during a clash in the Tirah area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, police and intelligence officials told AFP on Tuesday. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility.