RAWALPINDI: Ten terrorists were killed in an attack after they tried to force their way into Bannu Cantonment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement issued here today.
Discussing the latest terrorist attempt targeting the military in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has witnessed a surge in violence after Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members were allowed to resettle in the erstwhile tribal region.
The armed forces media wing, in a statement issued on Tuesday, also mentioned that eight soldiers were martyred in the terror attack and noted that the swift action taken by security forces helped avoid massive destruction and loss of human lives.
The ISPR described the response by security forces as valiant action, which it said was an expression of the military’s resolve to fight terrorism.
On the other hand, the ISPR also said that the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, currently operating from Afghanistan, was responsible for the latest attack and had acted similarly in the past. This group is one of the many terror outfits now based in the unstable country, receiving full support from Kabul.
This again shows the failure of the Afghan interim government led by the Taliban to crack down on the terror outfits housed in Afghanistan, which have become a serious threat to regional peace and security.
It is the reason why the ISPR says Pakistan has repeatedly asked the Afghan interim government to take necessary action against the terrorist organizations.
Every possible step will be taken to tackle the security threats emanating from Afghanistan, protect the masses, and safeguard national defense, the ISPR promised.
The reluctance of the Afghan Taliban to go after the TTP forced Islamabad to launch Operation Azm-e-Istehkam. However, the PTI, which under Imran Khan paved the way for terrorists’ return and has been running Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2013, is not taking any action against them.
According to details shared by ISPR about Monday’s attack, the terrorists tried to enter Bannu Cantt, but the security forces foiled their attempt. Subsequently, the terrorists detonated an explosives-laden vehicle against the outer wall.
The resultant blast resulted in the martyrdom of eight troops and damaged the wall as well as the infrastructure located nearby.
However, the security forces managed to eliminate all ten terrorists during the retaliatory action and hours-long clearance operation carried out in the area.
The martyred soldiers included Naib Subedar Muhammad Shehzad, Hawaldar Zill-e-Hussain, Hawaldar Shehzad Ahmed, Lance Naik Sabz Ali, and four sepoys: Ashfaq Hussain, Subhan Majeed, Imtiaz Khan, and Arsalan Aslam.
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