Six servicemen were martyred fighting off a terrorist attack on their check post in Thal district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, while 22 terrorists were eliminated in separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) elsewhere in the volatile province on Dec 6-7, the military said on Saturday.
Security forces conducted an operation based on intelligence information about the presence of terrorists in the Gul Imam area of Tank district. “During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij location, and resultantly, nine khawarij were sent to hell, while six got injured,” the military’s media wing ISPR said in a statement.
“Khawarij” is a term the military uses for terrorists belonging to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan umbrella of terrorist outfits which is responsible for most violence in the country.
At least 10 terrorists were eliminated in another IBO conducted by security forces in North Waziristan district of K-P, according to the military statement.
“In a third encounter, security forces thwarted a khawarij attempt to attack a security forces’ post in Thall district and killed three khawarij,” the ISPR stated. “However, during the intense fire exchange, six brave sons of the soil, having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced Shahadat.”
The ISPR identified the martyrs as Naib Subedar Mohammad Khalid, 39-years of age; Havildar Jadeed Ali (35), Lance Naik Waliat Hussain (28), Lance Naik Saifullah (30), Lance Naik Rahman (27), and Sepoy Nizamuddin (27).
Shaheed Khalid, who had served the military for over 22 years, belonged to Kohat district. He is survived by his father and wife. Shaheed Jadeed Ali, who was a resident of Orakzai district, served the military for over 17 years. He is survived by his father and wife. Shaheed Waliat, who hailed from Kurram district, had served the military for nine years. His survivors include his father and wife.
Shaheed Saifullah belonged to Khyber district. He served in Pakistan Army for seven years. He is survived by his parents and wife. Shaheed Rahman, who was a resident of Kurram district, served the country for eight years. His survivors include his parents. Shaheed Nizamuddin belonged to South Waziristan district. He served in the Pakistan Army for five years. His survivors include his parents.
According to the ISPR statement, sanitisation operations are ongoing to “eliminate any other khawarji found in the area.” It further stated that the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism and “such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve.”
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded the officers and personnel of security forces for the successful operations against khawarij terrorists in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
In separate statements, the president and the prime minister commended the professional capabilities of the security forces for killing nine terrorists in Gul Imam, Tank; 10 in North Waziristan; and three others in Thal District, besides capturing six injured militants.
Pakistani officials have repeatedly said that terrorists use the soil of neighbouring Afghanistan as a launching pad for cross-border attacks. The top military commanders earlier this week noted with concern the “unabated use of Afghan soil against Pakistan by terrorists, especially belonging to Fitna Al Khawarij.”
The 84th Formation Commanders Conference, held at the GHQ on Dec 5, “urged that it is in the interest of both neighbouring Islamic countries to rather focus on mutually beneficial engagements and IAG [interim Afghan government] needs to take visible measures to prevent use of its soil by the terrorists”.
Also, the funeral prayers for the martyred troops were later offered in the Thal tehsil of Hangu district. The corps commander Peshawar, along with senior military and civilian officials, and a large number of local residents attended the last rites of the martyrs. “The supreme sacrifices of these martyrs in the defense of the homeland will not go in vain,” the ISPR said.
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