DI Khan: 23 military men martyred, over two dozen terrorists eliminated
Pakistan
It all started with an attack on a base camp
DI KHAN (Web Desk/Dunya News) – The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday the security forces had killed 27 terrorists during an operation carried out in DI Khan – the southernmost district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
At the same time, the ISPR said they also seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition besides destroying their hideouts, adding that terrorists, who were involved in attacks on military personnel and citizens, were eliminated in intelligence-based raids carried out on multiple locations.
However, two security men were martyred during the gunfight, the military’s media wing said.
Read more: PM Kakar asks terrorists to surrender unconditionally, rules out any negotiations
Later, it added, 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.
In this connection, Reuters says the compound [referred as post in the above] was actually a police station being used by the Pakistan Army as a base camp.
The total number of attackers was six terrorists, the ISPR said. “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.”
An emergency was declared in the main health facilities hospitals across the district after the injured were rushed to the hospitals. Some of them were stated to be in a critical condition.
Law enforcers and security forces are coming under attack repeatedly ever since the terrorist acts – bombings and gun attacks as well as targeted killings – increased in the province, which coincide with the return of Taliban to the province after the PTI government and the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) – an umbrella organisation of various groups – started talks which proved to be an utter failure.
The former PTI chairman, who was the then prime minister, had later publically admitted that thousands of terrorists had been resettled in erstwhile FATA (Federally Administrated Tribal Areas) as part of the so-called peace process.
Read more: Dar questions shift in anti-terror policy, release of terrorists
Back then, protests had erupted in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – including Swat – over the return of Taliban as people questioned the wisdom behind the move.
In a recent attack, the ISPR had said, a suicide bombing carried out by an Afghan citizen associated with Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of TTP Two persons had killed two and wounded seven others in the Baka Khel area of Bannu in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders the tribal districts of the province.
The worst part of this terrorism surge is the fact that the terrorists have been targeting the police – the prime civilian force responsible to main law and order – in a bid to damage their morale.
Moreover, it will affect the electioneering in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the JUI-F, PML-N, PPP and ANP members have been among the targets.
Earlier, reports had emerged that the top PML-N and PPP leadership – including Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari – were among their target, while Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti has recently warned that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was facing a serious security threat.
However, the chief election commissioner last week promised a blanket security to the voters, asking them to pay attention to any rumours – about postponement of or delay in elections – and extend cooperation to the ECP for guaranteeing peaceful polling.
Read more: Don't pay attention to rumours, election schedule to be shared within days: CEC
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