Daily Times

Twenty-five Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred while 27 terrorists were killed in three separate incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan, the military’s media affairs wing said on Tuesday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “heightened activities” were witnessed in the district on the nights of December 11 and 12. In the early hours, a group of six terrorists attacked a security forces’ checkpost in the Daraban general area, it said. “The attempt to enter the post was effectively thwarted which forced the terrorists to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the post, followed by a suicide bombing attack.

“The resulting blasts led to the collapse of the building, causing multiple casualties; 23 brave soldiers embraced shahadat, while all six terrorists were effectively engaged and sent to hell,” the ISPR said.

It added that sanitisation operations were being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists present in the area. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthens our resolve,” the ISPR said.

Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan, a new group affiliated with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack on the checkpost.

Meanwhile, the ISPR said 17 terrorists were killed in a separate intelligence-based operation in the Darazinda area of Dera Ismail Khan. It further stated that two soldiers embraced martyrdom while four more terrorists were neutralised in another intelligence-based operation in the Kulachi area.

“The killed terrorists were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as killing of innocent civilians. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered during the operations,” it added. This is the military’s highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks reported this year. Before this, 12 soldiers were martyred in separate military operations in the Zhob and Sui areas of Balochistan in July. Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar strongly condemned the attack and said the security forces would not be demoralised by such “cowardly acts”, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

He said the entire nation salutes the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the war against terrorism. The premier also directed authorities to provide the best medical treatment to the injured persons.

Separately in a post on X (formerly Twitter), PM Kakar said that “dedication, sacrifice and valour in the face of terror is unparalleled and a beacon of hope for our nation”. The prime minister also extended his deepest sympathies to the families of brave martyrs. “We will fight back till the menace of terrorism is eliminated from our motherland,” he added. Separately, an IED exploded near a police vehicle on routine patrol in KP’s Lakki Marwat. However, no loss of life was reported in the incident.

Lakki Marwat District Police Officer (DPO) Tariq Habib told the media that the Gabila police station house officer was on routine patrolling in the area when the IED blast occurred. He said that the policeman was unhurt in the attack. DPO Habib said that the IED was planted on the roadside, adding that it detonated at a distance from the police vehicle. He also refuted reports that alleged that the police vehicle was damaged in the incident and that explosives were planted under a bridge.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year. On Nov 3, a bomb blast targeting police personnel killed five people and injured over 20 others in DI Khan.

On Oct 31, a policeman was martyred after unknown militants opened fire on a police camp in Dera Ismail Khan. That same day, two soldiers were martyred in an IED blast in the South Waziristan district. According to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, the country experienced a 34 per cent increase in anti-state violence last month. It showed KP as the most affected province, documenting 51 attacks, causing 54 fatalities and 81 injuries.