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Blasts Kill Soldiers, Shi'ite Muslims in Pakistan

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - Authorities in Pakistan say a roadside bombing Friday near
   the Afghan border killed at least four soldiers and injured four
   others, while two separate bomb blasts in the country's southwest
   region killed five people belonging to the minority Shi'ite Muslim
   community.
   An army spokesman said a security force convoy was traveling through
   theKharkamararea of the remote North Waziristan district when it was
   hit by an improvised explosive device that terrorists had planted on
   the road.
   A lieutenant colonel, a major and a captain were among the dead.
   The military noted the attack took place in an area where security
   forces had "conducted search operations and arrested a few
   facilitators" of recent terrorist attacks in the North Waziristan
   district. The increase in violence during the last month has killed at
   least 10 soldiers and injured 35 others, it added.

   Meanwhile, officials in southwestern Baluchistan province said two
   separate bomb blasts Friday killed at least five people and injured
   more than 12 others. The victims were members of Pakistan's minority
   Shi'ite Muslim community, they added.Separatist ethnic Baluch groups
   and militants linked to the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, as well as
   Islamic State are active in the province.
   There were no claims of responsibly for both the attacks.
   Friday's attack inNorth Waziristan took place in the area where clashes
   broke out last month between Pakistani security forces and protesters
   linked to an ethnic-based local rights group, PashtunTahafuzMovement
   (PTM), that left at least 13 people dead and many more wounded,
   including several security personnel.
   Police have since rounded up around two dozen PTM activists, including
   two central leaders, on charges of attacking security forces and
   disturbing public order.

   Troops faulted
   The detained PTM leaders, Mohsin Dawar and AliWazir, whoare elected
   members of the Pakistani parliament, strongly rejected the allegations
   and instead claimed troops fired on peaceful protesters who were
   agitating against alleged military abuses and demanding release of
   their supporters.
   The Pakistan government and the militaryin particular areaccusedof
   blockingnews coverage of PTM rallies and related public activities. PTM
   has been accused of trying to incite ethnic-based violence at the
   behest of intelligence agencies of neighboring India and Afghanistan,
   charges the rights group rejects as baseless and propaganda.

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