The military’s media affairs division announced on Thursday that a soldier and a civilian were killed in the suicide bombing that occurred yesterday in the Miranshah neighbourhood of North Waziristan district.
Security officials had informed Dawn that the suicide bomber on the motorcycle struck a security force convoy while it was travelling from Datta Khel tehsil to Miranshah. Three civilians and 14 others, including nine security personnel, were reportedly hurt in the event, according to reports at the time.
However, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a statement early on Thursday stating that the suicide explosion happened on December 14 in the “general vicinity” of Miranshah (Wednesday).
Havaldar Muhammad Ameer, a 30-year-old soldier, was named as the deceased. In addition, one civilian declared himself a martyr while nine other people were hurt, according to the ISPR.
Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister, sharply condemned the incident. In response to the lives lost in the event, he expressed regret and mourning, according to state-run radio station Radio Pakistan.
The newspaper paraphrased him as adding, “Those doing suicide assaults on Muslims cannot be Muslims.” Terrorists, according to PM Shehbaz, are “playing into the hands of our enemies who want to destabilise Pakistan.”
He pledged to hold the offenders accountable. The prime minister praised the martyrs for giving their lives in sacrifice for the nation, saying that the Pakistani people and security forces have made tremendous efforts to eradicate terrorism.
Rana Sanaullah, the interior minister, also denounced the act and expressed sorrow over the deaths.
He tweeted, “We condemn the suicide blast in the Miranshah area of North Waziristan and are devastated by the loss of Havaldar Muhammad Ameer and a civilian.”
The province government’s concern about the deteriorating security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was conveyed by the interior minister, who also promised to take action against terrorists.
He added that the nation’s security services were perfectly capable of getting rid of militants: “We will track down terrorists and defeat their malicious goals.”
In the Jhallar Algad region of North Waziristan on December 5, at least five terrorists were killed and a soldier was slain during an intelligence-based operation.
During a fierce firefight between security personnel and militants, the ISPR said that troops successfully engaged the terrorists’ hiding place. It was reported that the terrorists’ guns and ammo had also been found.
According to the ISPR, “the terrorists continued to aggressively engage in terrorist activities against security personnel and the murder of innocent persons.”