12 soldiers martyredUp to 12 Pakistani Army soldiers died in separate military operations in the Balochistan regions of Zhob and Sui, and seven “heavily armed” militants who allegedly attacked the security forces were also killed, according to multiple statements made by the military’s media wing on Wednesday.
12 soldiers martyredThis was the highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks that the military has been made aware of this year. Prior to this, 10 soldiers perished in a “fire raid” in the Kech district of Balochistan in February 2022.
Security forces were attacked by militants in Sui while conducting an operation in the area, according to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) late on Wednesday night. According to the statement, “during the fire exchange, three brave soldiers, having fought gallantly, embraced “shahadat,” while two terrorists were consigned to hell during the operation.
The Sui attack followed a raid on a military installation in Zhob Cantt in the morning, wherein nine soldiers were martyred and five militants were resultantly killed.
ISPR says seven attackers killed in separate incidents; prime minister pays tribute to fallen soldiers
12 soldiers martyredA passenger bus headed for Quetta was caught in the crossfire in Zhob, where a woman was also killed and at least five civilians were hurt. According to ISPR, soldiers on duty stopped the assailants’ initial attempt to “sneak into the facility.”
The ISPR reported that the terrorists had been confined to a small area at the border during the subsequent heavy exchange of fire.
The security operation at “Zhob Cantt has been completed, and in total five terrorists have been killed during the operation,” according to a follow-up statement released by ISPR later on Wednesday night.
“Security forces and the nation remain resilient and determined to thwart all such dastardly attempts of the enemy aimed at destroying the peace of Balochistan and Pakistan,” the ISPR said.
Citing reports, Zhob Commissioner Saeed Ahmed Umrani said that “five terrorists equipped with heavy automatic weapons” were involved in the attack. “Security forces also suffered casualties in the gun battle which continued till noon,” Mr Umrani told Dawn when contacted.
However, he said that security forces also conducted a search operation in Zhob town and its surrounding areas after receiving information about the presence of suspected terrorists and their facilitators.
12 soldiers martyredAzimullah Kakar, Deputy Commissioner, confirmed a woman’s death. After receiving initial care, the injured were transported to Civil Hospital Quetta, according to Mr. Kakar. “The bus, which was coming from Dera Ismail Khan, was passing through the areas of Zhob cantonment when it was [caught] in the crossfire,” he said.
The Tehreek Jihad Pakistan (TJP), an organisation, took credit for the assault on the Zhob garrison. Prior attacks on an FC camp in Qila Abdullah’s Muslim Bagh neighbourhood as well as a police vehicle targeted on the Quetta-Sukkur highway close to Sibi were both attributed to the same group.
This was the second attack on security forces in Zhob; earlier on July 2, militants attacked three checkposts of police, levies and the Frontier Corps on the Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan highway in the Sherani district of Balochistan. Three policemen and an FC officer were martyred while an attacker was killed.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the martyred soldiers. He said that their sacrifice for the homeland would be remembered forever, state-run APP reported.
Balochistan Governor Malik Abdul Wali Khan Kakar, Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo and Home Minister Ziaullah Langove in separate statements also condemned the attack.
Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2023