ISLAMABAD: In a flurry of terrorist attacks in Dera Ismail Khan including a suicide bombing of a security forces camp, 25 soldiers were martyred and 27 militants were killed on Tuesday.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 23 military men were martyred as a result of bombing and armed attack in the wee hours of Tuesday at a check post in Daraban – a town located 40 kilometres west of DI Khan.
According to the ISPR, the security personnel lost their lives as the attackers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the wall of the compound, which triggered the building collapse.
The ISPR said an intelligence-based operation (IBO) was conducted in the general area Darazinda on the reported presence of terrorists. During the conduct of the operation, terrorists’ hideout was busted and 17 terrorists were sent to hell.
In another IBO in the general area of Kulachi, own troops effectively engaged terrorists’ location as a result of which four terrorists were sent to hell. However, after intense exchange of fire, two brave sons of the soil, having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat.
The killed terrorists were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as the killing of innocent civilians. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered during the operations.
The attempt to enter the post was effectively thwarted which forced the terrorists to ram an explosives-laden vehicle into the post, followed by a suicide bombing attack.
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.
Sanitization operations were conducted to eliminate any other terrorist present in the area, as 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.
Reuters Adds: A six-man suicide squad drove an explosive-laden truck into a military camp, martyring at least 25 soldiers, the army said, the heaviest death toll in a single attack in years, less than two months ahead of elections.
The gun and bomb attack, which was claimed by an militant group, comes as political watchers have already voiced concerns about holding the vote, scheduled for Feb. 8, amid a surge in militant attacks in the northwest and southwest.
The army had set up the base camp in a police station complex in the Daraban area of the district.
“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 army statement said.
The resulting blasts led to the collapse of the building, causing multiple casualties, it added.
Several of the wounded were in critical condition, said Aizaz Mehmood, an official of the state-run rescue service.
In a statement, a Pakistani Taliban group, the Tahreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), which has emerged recently and claimed several big bombings in recent months, said its militants carried out the attack to target the Pakistani army.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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