February 7, 2022
ISLAMABAD – 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.
Suicide bomber killed during Tank IBO
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.