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2 soldiers killed in first AJK suicide attack

ISLAMABAD: A Taliban suicide bomber killed two soldiers on Friday when he blew himself up near an army vehicle in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), in the first such attack in AJK.

The military said in a statement that three other soldiers were injured in the early morning bombing in Muzaffarabad, the capital of AJK, and rushed to a nearby hospital.

Hakimullah Mehsud, a deputy of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, told AP that the assault was launched to prove that Baitullah had not been weakened by more than a week of strikes on his suspected hideouts in South Waziristan Agency.

“We are in a position to respond to the army’s attacks, and time will prove that these military operations have not weakened us,” Hakimullah said over telephone.

A report by AFP said local authorities strongly condemned the blast, demanded a swift investigation and ordered law enforcement officers to step up security.

Political analyst Talat Masood said the attack “may be a sign of desperation at a time when the Taliban are coming under tremendous pressure because of the offensive”, Reuters reported.

“It also shows they want to widen the conflict and hit the army wherever it is.” agencies

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