NORTH / SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Four people, including two soldiers and a cop, lost their lives when a suicide attacker detonated a car bomb at a police checkpoint in North Waziristan near the Afghanistan border on Wednesday, the district administration said.

Separately, in South Waz­iristan, security for­ces killed six militants in an exchange of fire, the military said.

North Waziristan’s deputy commissioner, Rehan Gull Khattak, said the suicide bomber targeted the Liaquat checkpoint in Datta Khel town at a time when routine checking was going on.

“The bomber arrived in a motorcar and blew himself up,” Mr Khattak said, adding that Naik Saeed and Sepoy Javed, police constable Hakim Jan and a civilian embraced martyrdom.

Two officials — Hawal­dar Manzoor and police constable Shakir — were injured in the attack. They were immediately shifted to a hospital in Miramshah, he said.

In the South Waziristan district, security forces gunned down six militants in an exchange of fire in the Kot Azam area on Wednesday.

Official sources said the militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation carried out by security forces.

The military’s media wing ISPR confirmed the developments in a statement. “During the operation, intense fire exchange took place between security forces and six militants were killed,” it said, adding that six militants were killed.

It said weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed militants, who it said had actively targeted security forces and were involved in extortion and targeted killing of citizens. The security forces were combing the area for more militants.

Moreover, a person was reportedly shot dead in the remote mountainous area on the border between Swat and Buner districts on Tuesday night.

According to local sources, residents alerted the police after they saw some suspected people in the nearby mountains along the border.

“Luckily, the police and security forces reached in time and started an operation against the suspected persons,” a resident said, requesting anonymity. Locals said they heard continuous gunfire until midnight.

Swat district’s police officer, Shafiullah Gandapur, said that the police had received information on Tuesday evening from the residents of the Doshey area in Manglawar union council about some suspicious people.

“Upon receiving the information, police and security forces reached the area. We launched a joint operation against the suspected armed persons, but the area is so complicated and remote that they managed to flee,” he said.

He said a local man identified as Jamdali, who was a former village defence committee member, was killed in the exchange of fire. Besides, policeman Waqar Khan was injured in the gunfight. However, he was said to be in stable condition and was under treatment at the Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2023