Lt Col Shahzada, 43, a resident of Mansehra, and Sepoy Karamat Shah, 28, of Peshawar were martyred in the attack. PHOTO: ISPR
RAWALPINDI:
An army officer and a soldier embraced martyrdom in a suicide attack in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations, a security force convoy was “targeted by the Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij” while an intelligence-based operation (IBO) was being conducted on the reported presence of terrorists, including a suicide bomber.
The state uses the term Fitna al Khawarij for the terrorists belonging to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The statement added that five terrorists were also killed during the operation.
“A vehicle-borne suicide bomber was intercepted by the leading group foiling his nefarious design to target innocent civilians/law enforcement personnel in Bannu, averting a major disaster,” ISPR said.
“During the conduct of the operation, the khwarij was located and after an intense exchange of fire, five khwarij were sent to hell by the security forces. However, in desperation, the Khwarij rammed the explosive-laden vehicle into one of the vehicles in the lead group,” it further said.
As a result, Lt. Col. Shahzada Gul Faraz (Age: 43 years, resident of District Mansehra), a brave commander known for his bold actions leading his troops from the front, embraced shahadat along with Sepoy Karamat Shah (Age: 28 years, resident of District Peshawar).
“The Khwarij continue their terrorist activities inside Pakistan using Afghan soil, which violates the sanctity of the holy month of Ramazan. This clearly indicates that they have no connection with Islam,” the press release said.
The Afghan Taliban regime has once again failed to stop Khwarij from using Afghan soil for terrorist activities inside Pakistan, that too during the holy month of Ramazan. Pakistan will exercise no restraint and operations will continue against the perpetrators of this heinous and cowardly act for justified retaliation against Khwarij wherever they may be.
“Counter-terrorism campaign under the vision of “Azm-e-Istehkam” (as endorsed by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) of Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies will continue at full speed to wipe out the menace of foreign sponsored and aided terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further reinforce our unwavering commitment at any cost,” says our unwavering commitment.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the terror attack.
The President and the Prime Minister expressed their deep sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of Lt. Col. Shahzada Gul Faraz and Sepoy Karamat Shah.
The President said the great sacrifices of their martyrs were a national asset, the Presidential Secretariat Media Wing said in a press release.
The President and Prime Minister conveyed their heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs and prayed for elevation of their ranks in Jannah and for patience and strength for the bereaved families.
The President also reaffirmed the decision that operations against Fitna al-Khwarij would continue without discrimination and with full force, stressing that the nation would be protected at all costs.
The President further said that terrorists who violated the sanctity of the holy month of Ramazan had no connection with Islam.
The prime minister praised the security forces for foiling the nefarious designs of Fitna al-Khwari by eliminating five terrorists during the operation, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
He further noted that act of terrorism carried out by Fitna al-Khawarij during the blessed month of Ramazan was a proof that terrorists had no religion.
The prime minister said that the security forces acted swiftly and saved the city from major destruction, adding that under the vision of Azm-e-Istehkam, the security forces achieved great successes in the fight against terrorism.
He further said that the entire nation stood with the Pakistan Armed Forces in this war against terrorism.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed their determination to completely eradicate all forms of terrorism from the country.
