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Taliban claimed responsibility for attack on Pakistani forces

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Dec. 24, IRNA – Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the deadly suicide attack on a camp of paramilitary troops on Saturday which killed 9 security men.

The attack on the camp in the country’s northwest also injured 17 other security personnel in Bannu district in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province. Bannu is located near the insurgents-infested North Waziristan tribal region.

Taliban spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan called media persons in the city of Peshawar to claim responsibility.

TV footage showed most parts of the Tochi Scouts camp razed to the ground and the security personnel were shown searching for the bodies and injured. Ambulances were also shown at the site.

Residents said they heard a powerful explosion around 6 a.m. which was followed by heavy firing.

The security personnel blocked all roads to the camp in the outskirts of the Bannu city.

Sources said that nearly 300 paramilitary soldiers had been living in the camp and the compound also housed several residential barracks.

Some sources said the vehicle entered Bannu district from the nearby North Waziristan tribal region.

It is the second attack on security forces in the country’s restive northwest in two days.

Armed militants attacked a security check post near South Waziristan tribal region early Friday and killed a paramilitary soldier and injured several others.

The gunmen had also kidnapped several soldiers and a Taliban spokesman Ihsanulah Ihsan had claimed responsibility for the attack. He later threatened to kill the kidnapped security personnel.

There has been no report about the fate of the missing personnel since they had been kidnapped. Taliban militants had also snatched arms from the soldiers.

Taliban militants once again stepped up attacks after a lull of several weeks in the wake of conflicting reports that they are engaged in talks with the government.

The army and Interior Minister had denied talks but deputy chief of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Maulvi Faqir Muhammad had confirmed the talks and even progress.
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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30729005