Eight soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack while 10 terrorists belonging to a group which operates from Afghanistan were killed as security forces foiled an attempt of the armed miscreants to enter the Bannu Cantonment on July 15.
The attempt to enter the cantonment was effectively thwarted by the security forces that forced the terrorists to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the Bannu Cantonment in the early hours of Tuesday. This timely and effective response by the security forces prevented a major catastrophe, saving precious innocent lives. The gallant and selfless action of the security forces was a testament to unrelenting resolve in fight against terrorism, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday.
However, the suicide blast led to collapse of a portion of the wall and damaged the adjoining infrastructure, resulting in Shahadat of the eight brave sons of soil who were Naib Subedar Muhammad Shehzad, 44, a resident of District Poonch, AJK, Havaldar Zil-e-Hussain, 39, a resident of District Khushab, Havaldar Shahzad Ahmed, 28, a resident of District Neelum, AJK, Sepoy Ashfaq Hussain Khan, 30, a resident of District Muzaffarabad, AJK, Sepoy Subhan Majeed, 22, a resident of District Muzaffarabad, AJK, Sepoy Imtiaz Khan, 30, a resident of District Karak, Sepoy Arsalan Aslam, 26, a resident of District Bahawalpur and Lance Naik Sabz Ali, 34, a resident of Lakki Marwat.
In the ensuing operation, troops effectively engaged the terrorists as a result of which all the 10 attacking terrorists were sent to hell. According to the ISPR, the heinous act of terrorism was undertaken by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group which operates from Afghanistan and has used the Afghan soil to orchestrate acts of terrorism inside Pakistan in the past as well.
Meanwhile, two soldiers and five civilians were martyred in a terrorist attack on a health centre in Dera Ismail Khan, official sources said.
Pakistan has seen a rise in terrorist activities over the past year. The Centre for Research and Security Studies reported 380 violence-linked fatalities and 220 injuries in the country during the second quarter of 2024. The northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and southwestern Balochistan provinces, both bordering Afghanistan, were the epicentres of violence, accounting for nearly 92% of all fatalities and 87% of attacks, including incidents of terrorism and security forces operations, during this period.
July 15-18 2024
Source: Business Recorder, The News International