RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff ( COAS ) General Qamar Javed Bajwa attendedthe funeral prayers of 11 security personnel, including an officer,martyred in a suicide attack on Saturday.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Commander Peshawar Corpsand other senior civil and military officials were also present at theprayers held in Peshawar.

General Bajwa later visited the CMH Hospital in the provincial capital tomeet those injured in the incident.Swat suicide attack

A suicide attack targetted at an Army unit inSwat’s tehsil Kabal onSaturday evening claimed lives of 11 security personnel and left 13 othersinjured.

The attacker had targetted the sports area of the armed forces’ unit in theShareefabad area of the tehsil. A large contingent of security personnelhad secured the area after the attack and started an initial investigationinto the blast.

Government sources had said rescue teams reached the area and shifted theinjured to a hospital in Saidu Sharif.

Earlier in December, security forces conducted an intelligence-basedoperation in Swat’s Jahan Abad area and killed two wanted terrorists.

The operation was conducted after intelligence agencies received accurateinformation regarding movement of terrorists, who were crossing over fromAfghanistan and entering Swat valley.Operations in the valley

Swat in northwest Pakistan referred to by some as the ‘Switzerland ofPakistan”, is known for its stunning natural beauty. The valley was brieflycontrolled by the Taliban between 2007 and 2009.

The armed forces have carried a series of military operations against localand foreign terrorists in the scenic Swat valley.

Operation Rah-e-Haq was launched thrice in the valley and Shangla districtin 2007, 2008, and 2009 respectively.

The army advanced toward Mingora, the largest city in the valley after itlaunched the Swat Operation, also known as Operation Rah-e-Rast, in May2009.