A mob led by Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leaders and National Assembly Members (MNA) Mohsin Javed (Dawar) and Ali Wazir assaulted Kharqamar checkpost in Boya area of North Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the morning of May 26, resulting the clash in which three civilians were killed and five Army soldiers sustained injuries, reports Daily Times. A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said “Troops at the checkpost exercised maximum restraint in the face of provocation and direct firing on the post. Due to firing of the group, five army soldiers got injured. In exchange of fire, three individuals who attacked the post lost their lives and 10 got injured. All injured have been evacuated to army hospital for treatment,” the ISPR stated, adding that Ali Wazir along with eight individuals has been arrested, while Mohsin Dawar is at large after inciting the crowd.
According to the ISPR, the aim of the attack at the checkpost was to exert pressure for the release of a suspected facilitator of terrorists arrested the other day. On May 6, a first information report (FIR) had been registered against members of the PTM central committee including MNA Ali Wazir in North Waziristan for inciting people to revolt against the state. According to sources, a clearance operation was conducted on May 24 in Doga area of North Waziristan as part of the sanitisation campaign. Troops deployed on one of the blocking positions received fire from Doga village and a soldier received a bullet injury in his belly. Following the incident, two suspects were taken into custody on May 25. A day after the arrests, MNAs Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir on May 26 incited the people to launch an assault on the Army checkpost.