Four soldiers martyred, 6 terrorists killed in N, S Waziristan encounters

RAWALPINDI: Four soldiers were martyred and six terrorists were killed in two encounters in North and South Waziristan districts on Thursday.

The first engagement occurred in general area Gharyoum, North Waziristan district, where troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location. As a result, six terrorists were eliminated, including a high value target, ringleader Hazrat Zaman alias Khawarey Mullah, who was actively involved in multiple terrorist activities in the area.

However, during the operation, three brave sons of soil, Lance Naik Tabbasumul Haq (age 36 years, resident of district Rawalpindi), Sepoy Naeem Akhtar (age 30 years, resident of district Attock) and Sepoy Abdul Hameed (age 23 years, resident of district Multan), having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat.

In another intense fire exchange between troops and terrorists in general area Asman Manza, South Waziristan district, Sepoy Farman Ali (age 25 years, resident of district Kashmore) embraced Shahadat. “Sanitisation is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area. Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” a statement by the Pakistan Army said.

Meanwhile, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar expressed heartfelt sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of personnel of security forces in exchange of fire with terrorists in North Waziristan area of Gharyoum and South Waziristan’s Asman Manza.

Paying tribute to the martyrs, the prime minister said: “The whole nation stands shoulder to shoulder with its brave armed forces and is determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.”

He said the war against the militants would continue till complete uprooting of terrorism from the country.

Meanwhile, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari praised successful military operations in North and South Waziristan against terrorists.

“Kudos to the soldiers who participated in the operation and killed six terrorists in Waziristan,” former president Zardari said in a statement on Thursday. He paid tribute to four soldiers who were martyred during the anti-terrorist operation in Waziristan.

Bilawal said the operations to defeat terrorists in Gharyoum area of North Waziristan and Asman Manza area of South Waziristan were commendable. He paid glowing tribute to the martyred soldiers of Pakistan Army in North and South Waziristan. --APP