Taliban militants target I-Day parade in Pakistan, 3 killed

Islamabad, Aug 14: Suspected Taliban militants attacked an Independence Day parade at an army camp in North Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan today, killing three soldiers and injuring 22 more.The attack was carried out in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan Agency.

Four rockets hit the Scouts Fort while security personnel were holding an Independence Day parade, security officials said. The rockets landed in the parade ground and three soldiers were killed instantly. Troops took the bodies and injured to a nearby medical facility and continued the parade.

In a separate incident, two rockets were fired at a military base at Razmak, a key town in North Waziristan. There were no reports of casualties in the second attack. Security forces returned fire after the two attacks and shelled positions from where the rockets had been fired. No group claimed responsibility for the attacks.

A powerful Taliban group in North Waziristan, led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, had struck a peace deal with the security forces in 2007. Both sides have stuck to the agreement. Gul Bahadur's group usually denies involvement in such attacks. Local residents said several breakaway groups of militants are active in the area, including hardcore fighters from Punjab province known as the Punjabi Taliban.

PTI