Three Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred in an exchange of fire with terrorists across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district on Tuesday, the military’s media affairs wing said in a statement.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (​ISPR), terrorists inside Afghanistan opened fire on Pakistani troops in the general area of Kharlachi. Pakistan Army troops responded in a “befitting manner”, it said.

During the exchange of fire, three soldiers identified as 32-year-old Naik Muhammad Rehman, 34-year-old Naik Maweez Khan, and 27-year-old Sepoy Irfan Ullah, having fought gallantly, embraced martyrdom, the ISPR statement said.

“As per credible intelligence reports, due to fire of own troops, terrorists suffered heavy casualties.”

The military’s media wing said it strongly condemned the “use of Afghan soil by terrorists for activities against Pakistan”, adding that it expected the Afghan government not to “allow the conduct of such activities in the future”.

“Pakistan Army is determined to defend Pakistan’s borders against the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the ISPR added.

AFP reported that the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the attack and demanded that the Afghan government should stop terrorists from carrying out operations from its border.

He expressed grief over the martyrdom of the Pakistan Army soldiers and paid tribute to them for their strong response against the cross-border terrorists.

Last month, a Pakistan Army soldier embraced martyrdom in Lower Dir as militants stepped up attacks against security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Separately, two army soldiers also lost their lives in Harnai, Balochistan the same day during a gun battle with terrorists.

Opinion

Editorial

Sindh lawlessness
29 Nov, 2023

Sindh lawlessness

GOVERNMENTS come and go, but little has been done to control rampant crime across Sindh, particularly its lawless...
New compact
29 Nov, 2023

New compact

AS elections approach ever closer without any tangible improvement in the political atmosphere, there has been a...
Climate crossroads
Updated 29 Nov, 2023

Climate crossroads

As Pakistan presents its case at COP28, the focus must be on ensuring that the L&D fund.
Climate resilience
28 Nov, 2023

Climate resilience

It is critical to ensure climate resilience of the economy through sound climate-related public investment management.
Condemned to die
28 Nov, 2023

Condemned to die

ANOTHER day in Kohistan, another jirga-mandated murder of a girl. Her ‘crime’: dancing with boys in a video that...
Price of politics
28 Nov, 2023

Price of politics

THE big parties are not at all shy about the high price they have set on political ambition. According to a recent...