QUETTA: The death toll in the Harnai bomb attack raised to eight as two more personnel of Frontier Corps who got seriously injured in the blast succumbed to their injuries in the hospital, on Tuesday.
Banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed the responsibility of the IED remote control blast.
Six personnel of Frontier Corps traveling in a vehicle had martyred when the powerful improvised device was detonated by unknown people last evening when they were patrolling between Khost and Shahrag check posts some 16 km off district headquarter of Harnai district.
Two personnel including a non-commission officer and driver seriously injured when vehicle blew up as result of powerful explosion. The IED was planted in the middle of the road linking Shahrag to Harnai. The injured had shifted to the hospital where they succumbed to their injuries.
Eight victims of the blast were identified as Suborder Hadiyatullah, L-Nike Muhammad Yousaf, Muhammad Imran; soldiers include Shahab, Nadeem, Muhammad Fayyaz, Muhammad Omer, Abdul Rehman and driver Saadullah.
The bodies of all the eight FC personnel were dispatched to their native towns after funeral prayers that were attended by senior officers of Frontier Corps.

Commander Southern Command Lieutenant General Amir Riaz and IGFC Balochistan Major General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum visited Harnai and reviewed the security situation while chairing a high level meeting.

Important decisions related to peace and security was taken in the meeting. Sector Command FC also met local tribal leaders.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) identifying himself as Jeiand Baloch claimed responsibility of the IED remote control blast near Harnai. “BLA has carried out remote control blast, which cased death of 10 soldiers,” he claimed in a statement which received some media men through email.
Security forces that had launched search operation in the mountainous area of Harnai and Khost taken some suspects into custody for interrogation.
The condition of a FC man who got injured in the firing of suspected militants in Naag area of Panjgur district last evening is stable. One soldier had martyred in the firing.