Lieutenant, 2 soldiers martyred in N Waziristan blast

MIRANSHAH: Three security personnel, including an officer, were martyred and four others injured in an improvised explosive device blast in Ghariom area of North Waziristan tribal district on Thursday.

According to military officials and the Inter-services Public Relations (ISPR), the troops were providing security to the road construction teams in Ghariom area of North Waziristan when came under an IED attack. The terrorists had planted an IED apparently to target the troops. Three security personnel, including an officer, Lieutenant Nasir Hussain Khalid, 23, a resident of Muzaffarabad, Naik Muhammad Imran, 33, married, resident of Faisalabad and Sepoy Usman Akhtar, 30, of Rawalpindi, martyred on the spot. Similarly, the sources said four soldiers were injured in the blast.

They were later rescued and shifted to the hospital. The security forces latter cordoned off the area and carried our search operation.

There was no information till filing of this report if any arrests were made during the operation.

There has been a sharp rise in attacks on the security forces in the tribal

districts particularly in North Waziristan and

South Waziristan in recent weeks.

An increase in terrorist activities has been noticed in the border tribal districts along the border with Afghanistan when different factions of the Pakis-

tani militants in Afghan-istan reunited and pledged to launch attacks in Pakistan.