Pakistan
Nine soldiers martyred as Zhob operation concludes
The ISPR declared that the operation "sent five terrorists to hell in total."
Nine Pakistani soldiers were martyred during the "dastardly attack" on the Zhob garrison, which resulted in the killing of five terrorists during a clearance operation in northern Balochistan.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the clearing operation taking place at Zhob garrison has been finished.
The ISPR declared that the operation "sent five terrorists to hell in total." The statement further noted that during the exchange of gunfire, at least nine security officers chose martyrdom.
The military's media branch had earlier reported that five soldiers had suffered critical injuries, bringing the death toll to four. Later on, in the evening, it was reported that the wounded troops embraced martyrdom and succumbed to their injuries.
The ISPR stated that soldiers on duty "checked the initial attempt of the terrorists to sneak into the facility," adding that the terrorists were subsequently surrounded in a limited area close to the boundary after a severe exchange of fire.
"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," the statement continued.
According to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the martyrs' sacrifices have made Pakistan safe and secure today. The continued struggle against terrorism, he said, "is a fight for the future of the nation."
“In the last decade, our valiant forces and the nation together eradicated the menace of terrorism and in the future too, they will spare no effort to uproot this monster.
“The protection of this country is our mission and our responsibility, which is dearer than our own lives,” the premier added and prayed for the souls of the martyred.
Pakistan has seen an uptick in terror activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the outlawed TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.