The Bannu suicide attack on a Pakistan Army vehicle has been linked to Hafiz Gul Bahadur, based in Afghanistan.
Ittihad-ul-Mujahideen, a sub-group of Fitna-e-Khawarij, has claimed responsibility for the Bannu suicide attack.
The group’s main leader, Gul Bahadur, and his key commanders are taking refuge in Afghanistan, according to security sources.
Using Afghan soil, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group is involved in terrorism and subversive activities in Pakistan, security sources said.
Lt Col Sahibzada Gul Faraz embraced martyrdom in this attack.
According to the ISPR press release, a vehicle-borne suicide bomber was intercepted by the leading group, foiling his nefarious design to target innocent civilians/ Law enforcement personnel in Bannu City, averting a major catastrophe.
During the conduct of the operation, Khawarij were located, and after an intense fire exchange, five Khawarij were sent to hell by the security forces. However, in desperation, Khawarij rammed the explosive-laden vehicle into one of the vehicles of the leading group.
Resultantly, Lt Colonel Sahibzada Gul Faraz (age: 43 years, resident of District Mansehra), a brave commanding officer renowned for his daring actions, who was leading his troops from the front, embraced shahadat alongwith Sepoy Karamat Shah (age: 28 years, resident of District Peshawar).
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in separate statements, strongly condemned the “cowardly terrorist attack” and expressed grief over the martyrdoms.
