Nine soldiers were tragically martyred and five others were injured in a cowardly suicide attack on a military convoy in the Jani Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, as confirmed by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media affairs wing of the military.
The attack occurred when a suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated himself near the military convoy. Among the martyred soldiers is Naib Subedar Sanobar Ali. The injured soldiers are currently receiving medical treatment.
The security forces have cordoned off the area and are conducting thorough sanitization operations to ensure the removal of any potential terrorists in the vicinity, stated the ISPR.
The statement by ISPR further added, “The security forces of Pakistan remain determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism, and the sacrifices of our brave soldiers only strengthen our resolve.”
Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar condemned the attack and expressed his deep sorrow at the loss of the soldiers. In a message on social media platform X, the Prime Minister described the act as “utterly reprehensible” and extended his thoughts and prayers to the families of the martyred and injured. He also reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering stance against terrorism.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities in recent months, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the ceasefire between the government and the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was called off in November last year.
Last week, six soldiers were martyred in an exchange of fire in the South Waziristan district. The month prior, twelve soldiers were martyred in separate military operations in the Zhob and Sui areas of Balochistan. These incidents mark the highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks reported this year.
A report released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies in July highlighted a significant increase in terror and suicide attacks, leading to the loss of 389 lives across the country in the first half of this year.
This surge in terrorist activities reinforces the need for a continued and unwavering commitment to eliminating terrorism from Pakistan by the security forces and the nation as a whole.