Twelve personnel were martyred while six terrorists were killed after a checkpost was targeted in the Mali Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu, the military’s media affairs wing said on Wednesday. In a press release, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that on November 19 (Tuesday), “khwarij attempted to attack a Joint Check Post in general area MaliKhel in Bannu District”. The attack was effectively thwarted, the ISPR said, but a suicide blast led to the collapse of the checkpost’s perimeter wall and adjoining infrastructure, resulting in the martyrdom of 10 soldiers and two Frontier Constabulary personnel. “In ensuing fire exchange, six khwarij were sent to hell,” the ISPR said. In July, the government designated the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna al Khawarij, while mandating all institutions to use the term khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan. The ISPR statement noted: “The attempt to enter the post was effectively thwarted by own troops, which forced the khwarij to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the post.” It added that the “suicide blast led to collapse of portion of perimeter wall and damaged the adjoining infrastructure, resulting in shahadat of twelve brave sons of soil that include 10 soldiers of the security forces and two soldiers of Frontier Constabulary.” According to the ISPR, a sanitisation operation was underway. “The perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice,” the military vowed. “Security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resolve,” it reaffirmed. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the martyrdom of the 12 personnel, Associated Press of Pakistan reported. In their separate statements, both leaders paid tribute to the armed forces personnel for sacrificing their lives and killing six terrorists while safeguarding the country. “The whole nation salutes the soldiers for sacrificing their lives for the security of their motherland,” President Zardari was quoted as saying. He reiterated the nation’s resolve to wipe out terrorism from the country. Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz asserted: “The sacrifices of the nation’s soldiers will never be squandered. The Fitna Al Khawarij posing threats to the lives and properties of the people will have to pay a heavy price for it.” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the terrorist attack. Separately, the United States has reaffirmed its commitment to engaging with Pakistan to build capacity in detecting, preventing and responding to terrorist threats, according to State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller. During a weekly press briefing on Tuesday, Miller said: “We remain committed to engaging with government leaders and civilian institutions to identify opportunities to build capacity in detecting, preventing, and responding to threats posed by militant terrorist groups.” His remarks came in response to a question about how the US could “help Pakistan” in wiping out terrorism from the region. Referring to the question, Miller said he was aware of the abduction of seven policemen in Bannu, who were later recovered, as well as of “reports that a military convoy was ambushed near the border with Afghanistan”. “We condemn these and all terrorist attacks,” the State Department official said, acknowledging that Pakistani people have “suffered greatly at the hands of terrorists and violent extremists”. He expressed his condolences to the loved ones of those killed or impacted by recent attacks, mentioning the deadly Quetta train station bombing, Asked about US action to target terrorist groups “based in Afghanistan” – a concern that Pakistan has conveyed to Kabul repeatedly – Miller stated the US continued to have an “important bilateral counterterrorism partnership” with the Pakistani government. He highlighted that the partnership included “regular high-level dialogues and working level consultations dedicated to enhancing both civilian and military capabilities to detect and counter these type of threats”.