RAWALPINDI: Eight soldiers of Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom while gallantly fighting and successfully eliminating a group of ten terrorists who attacked Bannu Cantonment on Monday, the Inter Services Public Relations said on Tuesday.
The ISPR in a news release said in early hours of July 15th, a group of ten terrorists attacked Bannu Cantonment, whereas the attempt to enter the cantonment was effectively thwarted by the security forces personnel, which forced the terrorists to ram an explosive laden vehicle into perimeter wall of the cantonment.
The suicide blast led to collapse of portion of the wall and damaged the adjoining infrastructure, resulting in Shahadat of eight brave sons of soil that included Naib Subedar Muhammad Shehzad (age: 44 years, resident of: District Poonch, AJK), Havildar Zil-e-Hussain (age: 39 years, resident of: District Khushab), Havildar Shahzad Ahmed (age: 28 years, resident of: District Neelum, AJK), Sepoy Ashfaq Hussain Khan (age: 30 years, resident of: District Muzzafarabad, AJK), Sepoy Sobhan Majeed (age: 22 years, resident of: District Muzzafarabad, AJK), Sepoy Imtiaz Khan (age: 30 years, resident of: District Karak), Sepoy Arsalan Aslam (age: 26 years, resident of: District Bahawalpur) of Pakistan Army and Lance Naik Sabz Ali (age: 34 years, resident of: Lakki Marwat) of Frontier Constabulary.
In the ensuing operation, the Army troops effectively engaged the terrorists as a result of which all ten terrorists werekilled. “This timely and effective response by the security forces prevented major catastrophe, saving precious innocent lives. The gallant and selfless action of the security forces is a testament of unrelenting resolve in fight against terrorism,” the ISPR said.
The heinous act of terrorism has been undertaken by Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, which operates from Afghanistan and has used Afghan soil to orchestrate acts of terrorism inside Pakistan in the past as well, it added.
Pakistan has consistently raised its concerns with Interim Afghan Government, asking them to deny persistent use of Afghan soil by the terrorists and take effective action against such elements.
“Pakistan Armed Forces will keep defending the motherland and its people against this menace of terrorism and will take all necessary measures as deemed appropriate against these threats emanating from Afghanistan,” the ISPR said.
Meanwhile, seven people including two security forces’ personnel and five civilians, including children, were martyred in a terrorist attack on the Rural Health Centre (RHC), Kirri Shamozai area in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.
As per the military’s media wing, the civilians who lost their lives in the gun attack were the staff of RHC, including two lady health workers and a watchman of the facility, besides the two minors.
“On the night between July 15 and 16, the terrorists carried out a cowardly attack on Rural Health Center (RHC), Kirri Shamozai in Dera Ismail Khan District and opened indiscriminate fire on RHC staff,” the ISPR said in a statement after the incident.