Eight soldiers of the Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom in a terrorist attack at Bannu Cantonment on Monday. The soldiers embraced martyrdom while thwarting a terrorist attack, says Inter-Services Public Relations on Tuesday.
The ISPR informed that the terrorists attacked in the early hours of July 15th. However, they could not enter the facility as the attempt was thwarted successfully. Unsuccessful in their attempt, terrorists rammed the truck laden with explosives into the wall of the premises of the cantonment.
The suicide attack partially damaged the wall but claimed the lives of eight soldiers. “This timely and effective response by the security forces prevented a major catastrophe, saving precious innocent lives. The gallant and selfless action of the security forces is a testament to their unrelenting resolve in the fight against terrorism,” read the statement.
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Among the security personnel who embraced martyrdom are- Naib Subedar Muhammad Shehzad, 44, resident of Poonch district, AJK, Havildar Zil-e-Hussain, 39, resident of Khushab district, Havildar Shahzad Ahmed, 28, resident of Neelum district, AJK, Sepoy Ashfaq Hussain Khan, 30, resident of Muzzafarabad district, AJK, Sepoy Sobhan Majeed, 22, resident of Muzzafarabad district, AJK, Sepoy Imtiaz Khan, 30, resident of Karak district, Sepoy Arsalan Aslam, 26, resident of Bahawalpur district, and Frontier Constabulary’s Lance Naik Sabz Ali, 34, resident of Lakki Marwat
As per ISPR, the attack was carried out by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group operating from Afghanistan. This group has several times used Afghan territory to carry out attacks in Pakistan.
The statement reaffirmed the security forces’ commitment to protect the country from terrorism, vowing to take any necessary actions against threats coming from Afghanistan.
In November 2023, Pakistan had summoned the Afghan diplomatic mission head in Islamabad, demanding the extradition of Gul Bahadur, a leader of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The attack on Bannu Cantt occurred while Islamabad repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban administration in Kabul to stop banned groups from using Afghan territory to launch terrorist attacks against Pakistan.