By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Military said on Tuesday that 25 of its soldiers were killed and several others wounded in three separate terrorist attacks in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the border with Afghanistan.
The military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement that the attacks took place on the nights of December 11 and 12 in the Dera Ismail Khan district, where “heightened activities” by terrorists were observed.
In the most deadly incident, six terrorists attacked a security forces’ checkpost in the Daraban area early Tuesday, but were repelled by the troops. “The attempt to enter the post was effectively thwarted which forced the terrorists to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the post, followed by a suicide bombing attack,” the ISPR said.
The attackers then detonated an explosive-laden vehicle and a suicide bomber near the post, causing the building to collapse and killing 23 soldiers.
“The resulting blasts led to the collapse of the building, causing multiple casualties; 23 brave soldiers embraced shahadat, while all six terrorists were effectively engaged and sent to hell.”
It added that sanitisation operations were being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists present in the area. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthens our resolve.”
A new militant group, Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), which is affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack on the checkpost. The TJP spokesman said that four of the bombers were from different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, contradicting Pakistan’s claims of Afghan involvement in the attacks.
In another operation, the ISPR said that 17 terrorists were killed in the Darazinda area of Dera Ismail Khan, where the security forces conducted an intelligence-based raid on a terrorist hideout. It said that the killed terrorists were involved in various attacks on the security forces and civilians and that weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered from the site.
The ISPR also said that two soldiers were martyred and four terrorists were neutralised in a similar operation in the Kulachi area, where the security forces acted on a tip-off about the presence of terrorists.
“️The killed terrorists were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as killing of innocent civilians. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered during the operations,” it added.
The attacks marked the highest single-day death toll for the military from terrorist violence this year. In July, 12 soldiers were killed in separate operations in the Balochistan province, where separatist insurgents and Islamist militants are active.
Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of harboring and supporting the TTP and other terrorist groups that carry out cross-border attacks. Afghanistan, in turn, has blamed Pakistan for backing the Taliban and other militants that target the Afghan government and security forces.
Following the attacks, Pakistan’s Foreign Office summoned the Afghan charge d’affaires and delivered a “strong demarche” to the interim Afghan government, demanding action against the perpetrators and the TTP leadership based in Afghanistan.
“The Cd’A of AIG was asked to immediately convey to the Afghan Interim Government to fully investigate and take stern action against perpetrators of the recent attack,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
The Foreign Office said that the Afghan diplomat was asked to “fully investigate and take stern action” against the attackers, “publicly condemn the terrorist incident at the highest level,” take “immediate verifiable actions” against all terrorist groups and their sanctuaries, “apprehend and handover” the attackers and the TTP leadership to Pakistan, and “take all necessary measures to deny the persistent use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan.”
“Today’s terrorist attack is yet another reminder of the terrorist threat to peace and stability in the region. We must act resolutely with all our collective might to defeat this menace. On its part, Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to combat terrorism,” the Foreign Office said.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
