Major General Sanaullah, General Officer, Commander Swat Division
Two senior Pakistan Army officers and a soldier were today killed in an IED blast as they were returning from posts along the Pak-Afghan border in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Major General Sanaullah, General Officer, Commander Swat Division, along with Lieutenant Colonel Touseef were killed when the remote-controlled bomb planted along the road exploded.
Maj Gen Sanaullah, Lt Col Tauseef, Commanding Officer 33 Baloch Regiment and Lance Naik Irfan Sattar were killed in the blast near Binshai in Upper Dir, the Inter Services Public Relations said.
The killings of the Pakistan Army's senior officers came at a time when the country is preparing to hold talks with the militants to put an end to the surging violence, which has so far left over 40,000 people dead, including 5,000 security officials.
The incident also comes just a day after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced gradual withdrawal of troops from Malakand division starting next month.
As per the plan, in the initial stage, security forces will be withdrawn from Buner and Shangla districts starting mid-October.