NORTH WAZIRISTAN/ ISLAMABAD: Two soldiers of Pakistan Army were martyred after terrorists opened fire at a military vehicle in North Waziristan Agency on Tuesday, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Second Lieutenant Abdul Moeed and Sepoy Basharat lost their lives in the tragic incident. “Terrorists fired on [an] army vehicle from surrounding mountains in North Waziristan Agency,” the ISPR said.
Lieutenant Abdul Moeed, 21, who recently passed out from Pakistan Military Academy, was a resident of Burewala in Vehari district of Punjab. Sepoy Basharat, also 21, was a resident of Danyor village in Gilgit and had been serving in the military for over three years.
A tweet by ISPR Director-General Major General Asif Ghafoor soon after the incident quoted Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa as saying, “Freedom is not free … it costs sons of the soil. Freedom that we enjoy today is owed to so many such brave hearts. Salute to our martyrs.”
Earlier this month, six people were killed and eight others, including three security personnel, injured in an explosion triggered by an improvised explosive device in Mir Ali area of the troubled region. A military vehicle was the apparent target of the attack.
Strongly condemning the terrorist attack on the military convoy in North Waziristan, President Mamnoon Hussain said that our security forces have secured the future of the nation by rendering invaluable sacrifices. He prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls of Second Lieutenant Abdul Moeed and Sepoy Basharat who embraced martyrdom in the attack and offered heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
The president emphasized that armed forces have rendered unmatched sacrifices in the war against terrorism. He further said that nation will always remember the sacrifices of its martyrs and heroes.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also strongly condemned the incident of terrorist attack on a vehicle of the Pakistan Army in North Waziristan that resulted in martyrdom of Second Lieutenant Abdul Moeed and Sepoy Basharat. The prime minister extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed to Almighty Allah to bestow the departed souls with eternal peace.
The prime minister stated that the matchless sacrifices of precious human lives in the war against terrorism will always be remembered as they form the most important aspect of our national history. “They have sacrificed their most valuable asset for the sake of our homeland. There is nothing material to match up to their sacrifices. As a nation, we will never forget the greatest contributions of our valiant armed forces in the war against the enemies of our country,” he said.
The prime minister stressed that Pakistan, by the grace of Almighty Allah, has defeated the monster of terrorism by breaking the backbone of terrorist network across the country. “We have won this war and will, God willing, eliminate the remains very soon.”
The agency, like others in the mountainous tribal areas, borders the restive provinces of Afghanistan from where cross-border attacks are launched frequently.
On November 13, a cross-border attack in Bajaur Agency led to the martyrdom of Captain Junaid Hafeez and Sepoy Raham. Four other army troops were said to have been injured in the attack. Following the attack, the DG ISPR, in a series of tweets, had said that Pakistan had done its part and had cleared areas on its side of the border from terrorist presence. He had referred to the attack as the price Pakistan was paying for the security vacuum on the Afghan side of the border.
On Nov 9, sepoy Ilyas was martyred during an exchange of fire with terrorists in Khyber Agency.
On October 3, another soldier embraced martyrdom after terrorists fired from across the Afghan border on his post. The martyred soldier was identified by ISPR as Naib Subedar Azher Ali.
Published in Daily Times, December 13th 2017.