Peshawar - Three Levies personnel were martyred and one other got injured as improvised explosive device (IED) went off near a checkpost in tehsil Shiwa of North Waziristan district on Saturday.

The victims were rushed to Bannu for medical aid soon after the incident. Two Levies personnel Ameer Zaman and Abdul Wali were among the victims.

An eyewitness said that a huge blast took place as the Levies personnel arrived at the spot. The security forces conducted search operation in the area following the incident.

The martyred and injured security personnel were local residents of the area.

According to Sputnik, security officials and witnesses told RFE/RL the bomb attack targeted a checkpoint of the locally recruited tribal force in the Shiwa area, about 20 kilometres east of the border with Afghanistan.

Members of the paramilitary force in the area told RFE/RL that the bomb had been planted at the checkpoint during the early morning hours when there were no security forces present.

They said the bomb was detonated at 8 am when four members of the Khasadar force arrived for duty and entered the post.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has previously claimed responsibility for similar attacks in North Waziristan.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan condemned the incident and extended condolences to the families of the martyred personnel.

“Terrorists cannot diminish our hope through such incidents and we will eliminate terrorism. No religion allows attacks on innocent people,” the KP chief minister added.

NINE AFGHANS ARRESTED

Kohat Police Saturday conducted raids against anti-social elements at Jungle Khel area and arrested 28 suspects including nine Afghan refugees besides recovering weapons from their possession, said PRO Kohat.

On the directives of DPO Kohat Capt (retd) Wahid Mehmood, police team raided Afghan Refugee Camp adjacent to Jungle Khel and booked 19 suspects over different nature of crime.

Police have also arrested nine Afghan refugees who had incomplete legal documents for residing in Pakistan and also recovered arms and ammunition from their possession.

The recovered arms included two AK-47 rifles, five pistols, two guns and hundreds of cartridges.

Police have registered cases and investigations are underway.