By Naveed Siddiqui
RAWALPINDI: In a series of devastating incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan, 25 Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred, and 27 terrorists killed, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The intensified activities occurred during the nights of December 11 and 12, with the military’s media affairs wing providing detailed accounts of the events.
In the early hours Tuesday, a group of six terrorists targeted a security forces’ checkpost in the Daraban general area. Despite the attempt being effectively thwarted, the terrorists resorted to ramming an explosive-laden vehicle into the post, followed by a suicide bombing attack. The resulting explosions led to the collapse of the building, causing multiple casualties, with 23 soldiers embracing shahadat. The ISPR reported that all six terrorists were engaged and neutralized in the process.
Sanitization operations are currently underway to eliminate any remaining terrorists in the area, emphasizing the commitment of Pakistan’s security forces to eradicate terrorism from the country.
The Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a new group affiliated with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the checkpost attack. The TJP spokesman stated that four bombers from different districts participated in the assault, challenging recent claims about Afghan involvement in terrorist attacks.
In a separate intelligence-based operation in the Darazinda area, 17 terrorists were killed. Additionally, in the Kulachi area, two soldiers embraced martyrdom, and four terrorists were neutralized in another intelligence-based operation. The ISPR highlighted that the neutralized terrorists were actively involved in various attacks against security forces and the killing of innocent civilians. Recovered during the operations were weapons, ammunition, and explosives.
This marks the military’s highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks reported this year, surpassing the previous incident in Zhob and Sui areas of Balochistan in July, where 12 soldiers were martyred in separate military operations. The nation mourns the loss of its brave soldiers, and the ISPR emphasizes the unwavering resolve to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country
