-Firing from inside Afghanistan martyrs 5 soldiers in Kurram
-Army says Pakistani Troops respond in befitting manner
-Interior Minister says India doesn’t leave any opportunity to destabilize Pakistan
Staff Report
RAWALPINDI: Five Pakistani soldiers were martyred after terrorists inside Afghanistan opened fire on troops in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Sunday.
“Terrorists from inside Afghanistan, across the international border, opened fire on Pakistani troops in Kurram district,” a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, adding that Pakistani troops responded in a “befitting manner”. “As per intelligence
reports, due to fire of [our] own troops, terrorists suffered heavy causalities,” the statement said.
However, five soldiers were martyred during exchange of fire. They were identified as 34-year-old Lance Naik Ajab Noor, 22-year-old Sepoy Ziaullah Khan, 23-year-old Sepoy Naheed Iqbal, 18-year-old Sepoy Sameerullah Khan and 27-year-old Sepoy Sajid Ali. “Pakistan strongly condemns the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for activities against Pakistan and expects that [the] interim Afghan government will not allow conduct of such activities against Pakistan in future,” the ISPR statement said.
The Pakistan Army is determined to defend Pakistan’s borders against the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resolve, it added.
The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Meanwhile, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) near Dial road in Tank, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and killed a suicide bomber, the ISPR said.
Security forces conducted the operation on “confirmed intelligence reports of presence of” terrorists belonging to the proscribed TTP. “During the operation, a suicide bomber has been killed,” the statement added.
The ISPR said the operation to eliminate the terrorists’ abettors and accomplices “was continuing”.
In a separate statement on Saturday, the military’s media wing said the security forces conducted an IBO in Sarwakai village in South Waziristan and arrested a TTP terrorist identified as Allah Noor.
According to ISPR, the TTP terrorist was trying to escape while clad in a burqa, however, the forces caught him.
During the IBO, a huge cache of arms, ammunition, explosives, improvised explosive devices, mortars, grenades and communication equipment were recovered from the hideout.
In another such operation in Makeen area of South Waziristan, law enforcement personnel recovered M-16 rifles and ammunition.
Four individuals who were transporting weapons and ammunition to Dara Adam Khel were also arrested, the military said.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad on Sunday said that India did not leave any opportunity to destabilize Pakistan as the entire Indian media seemed to be restless during the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to China.
Addressing a press conference here, he said that over 70 to 80 thousands Pakistani people and personnel of our armed forces rendered matchless sacrifices in war against terrorism. Paying rich tribute to the sacrifices to the personnel of security forces, he said 20 terrorists were killed in 72 hours while nine solider embraced martyrdom in the terrorist attacks.
Regarding talks with banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) outfit, the minister said doors for talks could not be closed. However, he said those should not be spared who took weapons against State and our armed forces. Our valiant forces were responding to the terrorists in befitting manners, he added.
