PESHAWAR/ QUETTA: In a marked escalation of cross-border terrorism, Pakistan witnessed a violent day on Monday as terrorists unleashed a series of sophisticated attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. While security forces eliminated nine terrorists including a suicide bomber belonging to the Indian proxy Fitna Al Khwarij in two separate operations in both the province.
The coordinated violence, which included the rare targeting of ambulances and the use of quadcopter drones, resulted in the martyrdom of three security personnel and left multiple civilians and rescue workers injured.
Three soldiers of the paramilitary Federal Constabulary (FC) were martyred and seven others, including three rescue workers, were wounded in two back-to-back attacks in Karak, senior officials said.
Terrorists attacked an FC post in the Bahadarkhel area on Monday morning using a quadcopter. Five shells were fired, injuring as many soldiers. The injured FC personnel were identified as Havaldar Sabir, Sepoy Ameen, Sepoy Zohaib, Sepoy Murad and Sepoy Yousaf.
“The wounded personnel were being shifted to hospital when the ambulances were ambushed by terrorists on their way,” FC Deputy Commandant Javed Iqbal told The News, adding that three FC personnel were martyred in the attack.
Kohat Regional Police Officer Irfan Tariq confirmed to the media that the initial attack was carried out using a quadcopter, injuring five personnel. He said that while the wounded were being transported to Bannu in separate ambulances, terrorists launched another attack targeting Rescue 1122 ambulances.
“Four FC soldiers and three Rescue 1122 officials were injured in the two attacks and were shifted to hospital,” Rescue 1122 spokesman Bilal Ahmad Faizi told The News. The spokesman said two Rescue 1122 ambulances were also torched in the attack. It is rare anywhere in the world for ambulances transporting wounded personnel to be attacked.
After the incident, police and security forces launched a search operation in the area. The bodies of the martyred personnel and the injured rescue officials were shifted to hospital. The law and order situation in the southern districts, as well as some other areas of KP, has worsened in recent weeks.
Separately, terrorists carried out quadcopter strikes at the house and hujra of Marwat-Bhittani Tehreek leader in the Bakhmal Ahmadzai area of the Lakki Marwat district. A police official confirmed the attack and said that the quadcopter dropped two bombs on the hujra of the Tehreek’s Chairman Inamullah Khan. “One of the bombs exploded but it didn’t cause any casualty”, he maintained.
It is worth mentioning here that Marwat Bhittani Tehreek chairman survived a bomb attack in July, last year. Meanwhile, six people were killed in an armed attack in the Dastak area of Panjgur’s border region in Balochistan province.
According to police, the incident occurred about 60 kilometers from Panjgur in Chidgi Dastak, where unknown assailants opened fire, killing six individuals and setting two vehicles ablaze. Following the attack, the armed attackers managed to escape. A search operation has been launched to apprehend them.
Two of the deceased have been identified as Dawood, son of Awaz Jan, and Salim, son of Haji Faiz Muhammad, residents of the border village of Nakur. The names of the remaining four victims had not been confirmed at the time of the report.
Meanwhile, security forces eliminated nine terrorists including a suicide bomber belonging to the Indian Proxy, Fitna Al Khwarij in two separate Intelligence Based Operations (IBOs) in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
On Sunday, security forces conducted an IBO in Pishin District of Balochistan, on reported presence of Khwarij belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Khwarij. During the conduct of operation, troops effectively engaged the entire tashkeel with multiple weapons, says an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement.
After an intense fire exchange, suicide bomber Kharji cowardly blew himself up and four other Indian sponsored Khwarij were hunted down and sent to hell, the ISPR said. On Monday, security forces conducted an intelligence based operation in Dera Ismail Khan District, on reported presence of khwarij belonging to Fitna al Khwarij.
During the conduct of operation, troops effectively engaged the Khwarij location and after an intense fire exchange, four Khwarij were sent to hell, the ISPR said. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from Indian sponsored killed Khwarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area.
Sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji found in the area. Relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under vision “Azm e Istehkam” (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country, the statement said.
