PESHAWAR: At least three security personnel were killed and another two injured when Taliban attacked their convoy near Wana, headquarters of South Waziristan Agency, on Tuesday.
Reports said the convoy of armed forces was on its way to Wana when one of the vehicles hit an improvised explosive device (IED) near Azam Qela. Three people in the vehicle were killed on the spot. It was the second attack on security forces in South Waziristan Agency in three days.
Three days ago, the Taliban attacked a checkpost near Sararogha, killing five personnel and injuring another three. The armed forces carried out a major ground and air offensive in South Waziristan last year that was designed to evict the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which has been blamed for some of the country’s worst violence.
Many of its commanders and foot soldiers are believed to have fled into North Waziristan, considered the ultimate fortress of Al Qaeda and the Taliban in the Tribal Areas. Officials have been angered by reports of mounting US pressure on the military to launch an offensive against militants fighting against American troops in Afghanistan, but who are based in North Waziristan.
The US and Pakistan begin a strategic dialogue on Wednesday.
