Army Officer, Two Soldiers Killed In Blast In NW Pakistan

Islamabad, March 12, IRNA – A Pakistan Army Captain and two soldiers were killed whereas two others were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Pakistan’s northwestern Orakza tribal region, officials confirmed to media on Monday. “The attack took place late last night when the security forces convoy was targeted in Arkhanjo Mamozai village in Upper Orakzai tribal region,” the Frontier Corps media spokesperson Major Fazl said. Two other Army personnel were also injured in the attack, officials further said. Security forces launched a search operation in the area after the incident. Orakzai Agency, the lone tribal region of Pakistan which does not have borders with Afghanistan, had been once the stronghold of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The security forces had established posts in different parts of Orakzai agency after expelling the militants of most of their former base. But they are still hiding in several remote and hilly areas and launch attacks on the forces. Many TTP leaders also took shelter in Orakzai after they were expelled as the result of major offensive by Pakistani forces in South Waziristan tribal region in 2009.Orakzai had been relatively peaceful tribal region before the Taliban activities there./end