RAWALPINDI — Two Pakistan Army personnel, including a lieutenant colonel, were martyred after a vehicle-borne suicide bomber targeted a security forces convoy in Bannu district on February 21, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The military said the attack occurred while troops were conducting an intelligence-based operation against militants reportedly present in the area. A suspected suicide bomber was intercepted by the leading group of the convoy, preventing what officials described as a potential attack on civilians and law enforcement personnel in Bannu city.
During the operation, five militants were killed in an exchange of fire, the ISPR said. However, an explosive-laden vehicle was later rammed into one of the security vehicles.
Lt Col Shahzada Gul Faraz, 43, a resident of Mansehra, and Sepoy Karamat Shah, 28, from Peshawar, were martyred in the blast. The military said the officer was leading his troops from the front at the time of the attack.
The ISPR stated that operations would continue as part of the ongoing national counterterrorism campaign approved under the National Action Plan framework.
No independent verification of the claims was immediately available.
