Cop martyred, 3 injured in Lower Dir blast

TIMERGARA: A cop was martyred while three others sustained injuries when a police mobile van was hit by a remote controlled bomb in Lajboak area in Lower Dir on Wednesday, an official said.

District Police Officer (DPO) Lower Dir Arif Shahbaz Wazir said that the blast occurred at Biarai stream while the police mobile van was returning to Timergara from a police post in Biarai. He added that Head Constable Saifullah was martyred while three other cops identified as Suhail, Tariq and Ijaz were injured in the explosion. The official said condition of all the injured was stable. Arif Shahbaz Wazir said Saifullah lost his life due to profuse bleeding from the head injury. He said that the van had fallen into a ravine as a result of the blast. According to preliminary report, three kilograms of explosives were used in the blast. Meanwhile, funeral prayer of martyred cop was offered at the Police Lines at Balambat. DIG Malakand Ijaz Khan, DPO Lower Dir Arif Shahbaz Wazir, area people and a large number of police officials attended the funeral prayer.