RAWALPINDI: Two officials of Pakistan Army were martyred in a terrorist attack in North Waziristan Agency, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
The ISPR said that Second Lieutenant Abdul Moeed and Sepoy Basharat were martyred after terrorists fired on their vehicle from the surrounding mountains.
Sepoy Basharat, 21, was from Danyor village of Gilgit-Baltistan while Moeed, also 21, hailed from Burewala, Vehari.
Moeed had recently graduated from the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul, while Basharat had three years of military service, the ISPR statement added.
According to a message on Facebook from Moeed’s cousin, the deceased belonged to the 136 Long Course of PMA and hailed from the 4 Northern Light Infantry unit.
In a message, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi condemned the attack.
Pakistan has defeated the disease of terrorism, he said, adding that the nation will not forget the army’s role in the fight against terrorism.
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa stated that, “Freedom isn’t free, it costs sons of the soil. Freedom that we enjoy today is owed to so many such bravehearts. Salute to our Martyrs”
The message was shared on Twitter by DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor.
North Waziristan was cleared of militants recently after the Pakistan Army launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb in June 2014.
The operation was launched by the then army chief, General Raheel Sharif, following the attack on the Karachi airport.
The agency, like others in the mountainous tribal areas, borders the restive provinces of Afghanistan from where cross-border attacks are launched frequently.
Frequent attacks
On November 13, a cross-border attack in Bajaur Agency led to the martyrdom of Captain Junaid Hafeez and Sepoy Raham.
Four other army troops were said to have been injured in the attack.
Following the attack, the DG ISPR, in a series of tweets, said Pakistan has done its part and has cleared areas on its side of the border from terrorist presence.
He referred to the attack as the price Pakistan is paying for the security vacuum on the Afghan side of the border.
On Nov 9, Sepoy Mohammad Ilyas was martyred during an exchange of fire with terrorists in Khyber Agency.
On October 3, another soldier embraced martyrdom after terrorists fired from across the Afghan border on his post.
The incident had occurred at the recently cleared area around Mustil pass, an important passage from Afghanistan into Rajgal, in Khyber Agency. The martyred soldier was identified by ISPR as Naib Subedar Azher Ali.
On September 23, another officer embraced martyrdom during firing by terrorists from across the border in Rajgal, Khyber Agency.
Lieutenant Arsalan Alam, who was commanding the post when he got hit, was 22 years old.
