Daily Times

Six individuals linked to terrorist groups were killed in successful operations conducted by security forces in the districts of Tank and North Waziristan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

According to the military’s media wing, an exchange of fire broke out between Pakistani troops and the terrorists late on the night of Thursday, June 29, in the Manzai region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district.

Security forces effectively engaged the terrorists, resulting in three of them being killed. A significant quantity of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the deceased terrorists, it said. In a separate encounter in the Razmak area of the province’s North Waziristan district, three additional terrorists were killed in a fierce gunfight with security forces.

ISPR stated that the slain terrorists were actively involved in carrying out terror activities against security forces, and were responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians. The area is currently being sanitised to ensure the elimination of any remaining terrorists, said the ISPR.

The local population expressed their appreciation for the successful operations and pledged their full support in the fight against terrorism. The military’s actions are seen as crucial in the ongoing battle to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the region, it added.

Meanwhile, at least one police officer was injured in an attack on Smart Police Station Civil Lines Quetta, police said on Saturday.

According to police, the attackers who threw the grenade escaped the site. An unidentified armed motorcyclist threw a hand grenade at the police station situated on the White Road area of Quetta, police said, adding that due to the attack, there was an intense explosion and an official on duty, Constable Abdul Saboor, was injured.

The incident was captured by the close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the police station. The CCTV footage first shows part of the entrance of the police station. Later, the video shows the grenade falling into the building and exploding. After the grenade exploded, a fire erupted and an official inside the police post was injured due to the explosion. This is the latest of several attacks made on the law enforcement agency in the country over the past several months.

In a similar incident which took place last month, one policeman was martyred and a woman constable sustained injuries in a suicide blast in the Turbat district of Balochistan. The deputy commissioner of Ketch district said the woman suicide bomber blew herself up on Commissioner Road in the district. The vehicle of the security forces was also damaged in the explosion, he added.

Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo condemned the Turbat blast saying the aim of terrorist incident is to halt the development of the province. “The objectives of terrorists will never succeed,” the CM was quoted as saying in a statement. He said the provincial government will ensure the welfare of the people and make efforts to end the backwardness of the province. “The determination and morale of the security forces cannot be lowered,” he added. For the past few months, Pakistan has been gripped by a spate of terror attacks with even the country’s major urban centres such as Karachi and Peshawar under the radar of militants targeting security forces with the aim to deteriorate peace.

The National Security Committee (NSC) – in a meeting held in April – also decided to kick start an all-out comprehensive operation against militant outfits to root out the menace of terrorism from the country. The meeting was held in continuation with the NSC meeting after the terrorist attack on January 2, 2023, in Peshawar Police Lines, which claimed the lives of more than 80 people, mainly law enforcers. Meanwhile, security forces have been conducting operations against terrorists with the determination to eliminate terrorism from the country and resolve to strengthen the sacrifices of its soldiers.

The Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies (PIPS), a think tank in Islamabad, stated that the number of terrorist attacks in the country increased by 27% last year compared to 2021. At least 419 people were killed, while 734 were injured in 262 terrorist attacks last year.