The Zhob Garrison in northern Balochistan and the Sui district were attacked by terrorists early Wednesday morning, killing at least 12 security personnel, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in RAWALPINDI.
The military’s public relations office said that nine service members died heroically while preventing a terrorist attack on the Zhob Garrison. A few hours later, another attack in the Sui region claimed the lives of three more soldiers.
The ISPR first reported four deaths and five serious injuries from the Zhob incident. It was then revealed that the wounded troops had also died from their wounds and chosen martyrdom.
According to the ISPR, “initial attempt of terrorists to sneak into the facility was checked by soldiers on duty,” and soon after, the terrorists were encircled in a limited area along the boundary after a fierce exchange of fire.
According to the ISPR, “in total, five terrorists have been sent to hell during the operation,” and a clearance operation was also conducted successfully.
The military’s public relations office said that security troops and heavily equipped militants engaged in gunfire in Sui area.
“Three brave soldiers, having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat while two terrorists were sent to hell during the operation,” the ISPR reported after the shootout.
“The security forces are maintaining pressure and clearance operation is underway to apprehend the remaining terrorists as well,” the military’s media arm said. The security forces’ commitment to identifying and eliminating threats to peace in Balochistan and Pakistan has not wavered.
A further statement from the ISPR read: “The security forces and the nation remain resilient and determined to thwart all such dastardly attempts of the enemy aimed at destroying peace of Balochistan and Pakistan.”
In a tweet, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid heartfelt respect to the fallen soldiers, stating that Pakistan would never forget their ultimate sacrifice in defence of the country. His words, “pride of the nation,” referred to the dead warriors.
The prime minister acknowledged the nation’s debt to the Shuhada and Ghazi whose sacrifices safeguarded Pakistan’s defence and cohesion.
According to reports, more than 80% of all fatalities in the country occurred in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) during the second quarter of 2023.
There were fewer violent occurrences in the Islamabad Capital Territory, Punjab, and Sindh than in K-P and Balochistan, according to a report released by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) on Tuesday.
The quarterly death toll fell from 358 in Q1 2023 to just 284 in Q2 2023, a decrease of 21%. Only in Balochistan did violence (in the form of deaths) increase by 14%.
Six security officers were killed in two separate incidents earlier this month, making them the most recent victims of terrorism in Balochistan. Information on the attacks came from the ISPR and the Levies.
