Twelve personnel were martyred while six terrorists were killed after a checkpost in the Mali Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu was targeted, the military’s media affairs wing said on Tuesday.
The incident comes amid a sharp uptick in the number of attacks targeting security forces, other law enforcement agencies, and security checkpoints, particularly in Balochistan and KP.
The restive Bannu district has seen heightened militant violence of late. On Monday, over half a dozen policemen were abducted from a check post on the border with North Waziristan. They were recovered safely by police, with the help of tribal elders, yesterday.
In a press release, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that on Monday, “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.
“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,” the military noted.
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 asserted.
“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.
Over the past week, more than a dozen security men have been martyred in various attacks across the two provinces.
At least eight security personnel were martyred and three injured over the weekend in fierce gun battles with militants in the KP’s Tirah valley.
On Saturday, seven security men were martyred and 18 others wounded in a pre-dawn terrorist attack on a check post in Balochistan’s Kalat. According to the ISPR, security forces also killed six terrorists and injured four others in the incident.
Earlier this month, at least 26 people, including 16 security personnel, lost their lives and 61 others were injured in a suicide bombing at a Quetta railway station.
US ‘engaging with Pakistan’ in building capacity to prevent terrorist threats
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”.