LANDI KOTAL: Three army men, among them a captain, were killed in an explosion in the Tirah valley of Khyber Agency on Wednesday.

Security officials said some personnel of the 35 Punjab Regiment were patrolling Sandana area in Sipah territory when an improvised explosive device planted on the roadside went off. Three men, including Capt Umar Farooq, were killed on the spot.

Sandana was previously a stronghold of the banned Lashkar-i-Islam militant group. However, LI militants fled the area in April after security forces entered the mountainous region. The area has since then been under the control of security forces. Most of the residents vacated their homes in October last year after the military operation started.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2015

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