Daily Times

Ten Frontier Constabulary (FC) soldiers were martyred in a fierce attack carried out by terrorists on a check post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, an interior ministry’s spokesperson said on Friday.

The spokesperson detailed that the terrorists equipped with heavy weaponry targeted Zam FC check post in DI Khan’s Darazinda area under cover of darkness late Thursday night. In response to the assault, the FC personnel courageously fought back and repulsed the terrorist attack. However, ten soldiers sacrificed their lives to protect the check post. The martyred soldiers include six from South Waziristan and four from Karak district. The martyrs have been identified as Naib Subedar Muhammad Jan, Naik Arif, Lance Naik Saeed-ur-Rehman, Sepoy Akhunzada, and Sepoy Hazratullah.

Sepoys Mushtaq, Abdul Samad, Imran, Basir, and Mehtab. Three FC personnel were also wounded during the exchange of fire with the attackers.

The injured soldiers, identified as Naik Hamza, Sepoy Hasan, and Sepoy Sabir Ayub, were swiftly transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dera Ismail Khan.

Their condition is currently stable, and they are receiving the necessary care, state-run APP reported. Paying tribute to the martyred soldiers, the spokesperson emphasised that the FC remained unwavering in its resolve to combat terrorism and secure peace for Pakistan. “We pay tribute to the martyrs of the FC,” the spokesperson stated, noting that these great sacrifices only serve to strengthen the forces’ determination to eradicate terrorism. The Frontier Constabulary remains committed to eliminating the scourge of terrorism and ensuring peace,” the spokesperson added.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist attack and paid tribute to the FC soldiers who embraced martyrdom.

Lauding the patriotism of the martyred soldiers, President Zardari conveyed his condolence to the bereaved families. Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday paid tribute to the Punjab Police for carrying out a successful operation in the Mullakhel area of Mianwali in which 10 terrorists were killed.

The prime minister lauded the timely and effective anti-terror action by the Punjab Police and its Counter Terrorism Department, according to a PM Office press release.

“The entire nation feels proud of its brave policemen. We will continue to foil the nefarious designs of the terrorists,” the prime minister said and reiterated the government’s resolve for continuous action till the complete elimination of terrorism.