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       NORTH WAZIRISTAN / SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: A cleric and his young son were killed when armed men attacked a motorcycle the two were traveling on in Miramashah tehsil of North Waziristan tribal district on Tuesday.

       Also, a senior administration officer was held hostage at gunpoint before being freed on the Bypass Road in Mirali tehsil of the district.

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       The police said unidentified men opened indiscriminate fire on a motorcycle on the Bypass Road, killing riders Mufti Fazlur Rehman and his son, Noor Rehman.

       The attackers fled afterward. The police shifted the bodies to the district headquarters hospital in Miramshah.

       In another incident, additional assistant commissioner of Razmak Mohammad Younis Yousafzai was held hostage by terrorists for around two hours on the Bypass Road in Mirali tehsil. He was later released.

       The terrorists took the officer, along with his guard and driver, into custody and snatched his official vehicle, an AK-47 rifle, a pistol and a 9mm pistol. However, they later fled, leaving the officer and his subordinates behind.

       No statement was issued by the district administration on the incident.

       Residents resented both incidents, saying at a time when targeted killings and bomb blasts have made the area unsafe, the kidnapping of a government officer in broad daylight shows that the law and order situation has become really bad.

       “When the government’s own officers are unsafe, who the people should trust for their safety,” wondered local elder Imran.

       The residents demanded that the government take effective measures, arrest criminals and give them severe punishment, besides adopting a “practical strategy” to establish permanent peace in North Waziristan.

       TENSE SITUATION: Tensions are running high in the Birmal tehsil of Lower South

       Waziristan tribal district as armed groups have blocked key routes, planted improvised explosive devices and frequently exchanged fire with security forces over the last several days.

       DSP of Birmal Circle Asghar Ali Shah told Dawn that armed men used a tractor to build an embankment Karmazi Stop, sealing off the Azam Warsak Road.

       He said the road closure had forced residents to travel on rough tracks and mountainous terrain, making daily commutes difficult and dangerous.

       Tribesmen said the blockade had also restricted access to fruit and vegetable markets, badly affecting traders and orchard owners.

       Police officials said the area remained tense for six consecutive days, with reports of IEDs planted at multiple points along the road. In recent days, three culverts and a school were blown up.

       According to DSP Shah, late-night gunfire by terrorists happens frequently, heightening fear among the residents.

       In a separate incident, a 10-year-old girl was critically injured as terrorists and security forces traded fire in the Dazha Ghondai area. She was taken to the district headquarters hospital in Wana for treatment.

       Residents have complained about the worsening law and order situation and said for the last 10 nights, intermittent gun battles had taken place, raising fears of civilian casualties.

       Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2025