Shafaqna Pakistan: Six security personnel, including two officers, and a customs official were martyred while security forces foiled an attempted attack on the Customs House in Balochistan, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) added that 21 terrorists were killed in two separate operations across the province overnight.
According to an ISPR statement, the incidents occurred in Nokcha, Chagai district, and Ziarat Cross, Pishin district, during the night of August 31 and the early hours of September 1.
The military said militants affiliated with Fitna al-Khawarij launched a coordinated assault on Monday night in an attempt to overrun the Customs House.
Security forces responded to the attack and, following an intense exchange of fire, killed 10 militants, the ISPR said. It added that additional casualties were inflicted on terrorists who attempted to flee the area as security forces pursued them.
The ISPR described the attack on the Customs House as a manifestation of a “terror-crime nexus”, adding that it was “orchestrated to prevent customs officials from performing their lawful duties and thereby facilitate the continuation of criminal activities in the area”.
It said six personnel, including two officers and a Customs Department official, were martyred during the exchange of fire.
In a separate incident, the ISPR said 11 terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan were killed on August 31 after they attempted to establish an illegal checkpoint along the N-40 Quetta-Taftan Highway to extort money from commuters.
“Security Forces responded immediately and, after an intense fire exchange, killed eleven terrorists on the spot. A large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered from the terrorists,” it added.
The ISPR said sanitisation operations were underway in the surrounding areas to clear any remaining terrorists and ensure the security of local residents and vital national highways, adding that the counterterrorism campaign under the government-approved “Azm-e-Istehkam” framework would continue with full resolve.
“Security forces and law enforcement agencies remain committed to eliminating the menace of foreign-sponsored and foreign-supported terrorism from the country,” the statement said.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif commended the security forces for the operations.
President Zardari appreciated the professionalism and operational capabilities of the security forces in effectively targeting terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan and Fitna al-Khwarij.
He observed that by laying down their lives in the line of duty, the martyrs set a great example of defending the motherland.
The president and the prime minister also expressed grief over the martyrdom of the six personnel.
The prime minister said they shared the grief of the bereaved families, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
According to the statement, PM Shehbaz said that the sacrifices against terrorism would not go in vain.
The prime minister also reaffirmed that the government was committed to eliminating terrorism of all kinds, completely, from the country.
The federal government last year officially designated all terrorist groups operating in Balochistan as ‘Fitna al-Hindustan’, accusing India of sponsoring a proxy war through these outfits. Fitna al-Khawarij is the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Source: Express Tribune
