A soldier was martyred and six others, including three civilians, were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast on a security forces vehicle in Peshawar’s Warsak district on Monday, according to the military’s media affairs wing.

Initially in the morning, Warsak Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Arshad Khan said a Frontier Constabulary (FC) soldier was martyred and eight people, including two civilians, were injured in the incident. He said a vehicle of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa FC’s Mohmand Rifles regiment was targeted in the attack at around 10:30am.

The vehicle was headed towards Peshawar from Machni when the blast occurred, he added.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) later said in a statement that the martyred soldier, 29-year-old Lance Naik Abdur Rehman, was a resident of Bannu.

“Sanitisation of the area is being carried out in the area to eliminate the terrorists and their facilitators,” the statement read, adding that security forces were “determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers, as well as valiant civilian brethren, further strengthen our resolve”.

Probe ensues

After the incident was reported, SP Khan said there was “no prior threat”, he said.

The SP said that further investigation was under way and that a report by the Bomb Disposal Unit would further clarify the nature of the blast.

In the afternoon, Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Syed Ashfar Anwar visited the site of the incident, where possible evidence was collected.

He further announced that “strict checking” has been initiated at all entry and exit routes to the city and asserted that the government would “not let anti-state elements succeed in their nefarious designs”.

CCPO Anwar said all security institutions were working together to combat terrorism and establish peace.

Condemnations

Meanwhile, Caretaker KP Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan condemned the incident and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

In his statement, he directed hospital authorities to provide the injured with the best possible medical aid.

The chief minister added, “Such incidents will not demoralise the security forces. The entire nation is standing with the security forces.”

Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti also strongly condemned the blast, saying that he was griefed by the FC official’s martyrdom.

The minister said that the security forces could not be demoralised by the “cowardly attacks of miscreants” and vowed to end the menace of terrorism.

Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the “cowardly attack”.

“The sacrifices of our valiant soldiers and resilient people will not go in vain and such terrorist attacks cannot stop us from completely getting rid of the militants,” he said, as he prayed for the injured and the deceased.

The incident comes a day after interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti downplayed the increase in militancy in the country, saying there was no need for alarm as “a little surge [in terrorism] is not so big as to make us panic”.

His statement came amid reports of almost daily skirmishes between the security forces and terrorists — the most recent being the infiltration attempt in Chitral in which over a dozen attackers were killed while several troops embraced martyrdom.

Last week, a convoy of security forces narrowly escaped a suicide attack on Miramshah road in Bannu.

Last month, police and security forces repulsed three midnight militant attacks at as many locations in an area bordering the Kohat district. No casualties were reported.