Two martyred as suicide bomber rips through convoy in Dera Ismail Khan

DERA ISMAIL KHAN/QUETTA: Two soldiers were martyred after a suicide bomber struck a military convoy on Tank Road, in the jurisdiction of the Hathala police station, Dera Ismail Khan, on Thursday. Police said the attack also injured at least 22 personnel.

According to a police report, the convoy was on its way to Tank from Dera Ismail Khan when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the convoy, resulting in the martyrdom of two soldiers on the spot and injuries to almost two dozen others.

Following the attack, heavy contingents of police and security forces reached the site and cordoned off the area. The medical teams of Rescue 1122 rushed the dead bodies and injured to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dera Ismail Khan.

Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistan Army, had not issued an official statement about the suicide attack until the filing of this report.

ISPR says militant killed in Panjgur operation

Panjgur operation

Separately, an alleged militant was killed and two were wounded in an intelligence-based operation conducted by the security forces in Panjgur, according to the Pakistan Army’s media wing.

In a statement, the ISPR said on the night between March 20 and 21, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in Panjgur district. It said that during the operation, the army effectively “engaged the terrorists’ location and resultantly terrorist Chakar Liaquat was killed, while two terrorists got injured”.

“Weapon and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorist, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities,” the statement said. “Sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country.”

It may be noted that a day earlier a group of eight militants attempted to infiltrate the Gwadar port complex. Their attempt to enter the complex was foiled by the security forces, resulting in the death of all militants and two soldiers.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2024