• Three terrorists shot dead and as many injured in ‘intense gun battle’, says army
• Sanitisation operation underway to eliminate any terrorists found in area
• ISPR says sacrifices of soldiers further strengthen the military’s resolve

KHYBER: As banned outfits continue to target security forces in relentless attacks, four security personnel were martyred in a shoot-out in Tirah during an intelligence-based operation launched on Monday after a tip-off regarding the presence of “terrorists” in the area.

Since the start of this month, the security forces and the police have been in the crosshairs of militants who have launched several assaults, martyring more than a dozen personnel and injuring at least two dozen across the country.

Only a day before, att­acks on police check posts in Dera Ismail Khan — the fourth such incident in the district within a few days — were repulsed by the policemen deployed there.

Ten attackers were killed in the gun battles over the past few days.

Monday’s attack was preceded by an assault on a Pakistan Air Force airbase in Mianwali which was also foiled, with the security forces managing to gun down nine assailants.

The only damage was to a fuel tanker and three already grounded aircraft. The attack was claimed by the Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan which is linked to the banned TTP.

Before the airbase attack, militants in Gwadar ambushed two vehicles of security forces in Pasni and martyred over a dozen soldiers. This attack was claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Front. Another intelligence-based operation in Zhob before these attacks led to the death of six militants in a gun battle with security forces.

The fresh spike in militancy comes at a time when Pakistan has undertaken a massive drive to expel almost two million Afghan nationals residing in the country for decades, without proper documentation.

In an allusion to this drive, Balochistan caretaker minister Jan Acha­kzai, without producing any evidence, had claimed that these attacks were launched by ‘two neighbours’ of Pakistan to ‘blac­kmail’ the country. He also alleged that the Zhob attackers were Afghan nationals as relevant identity cards were found in their possession.

On Monday, as Lt Colonel Muhammad Hassan Haider led his troops to conduct the intelligence-based operation in Tirah after the reported presence of terrorists, an intense gunfight ensued. According to the Pakistan Army’s media wing, the troops led by Col Haider effectively engaged terrorists and killed three terrorists and also injured as many.

“However, during an intense exchange of fire, 43-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Hassan Haider, a resident of Islamabad; 31-year-old Naik Khushdil Khan, a resident of District Lakki Marwat; 27-year-old Naik Rafique Khan, a resident of District Charsadda, and 33-year-old Lance Naik Abdul Qadir, a resident of District Murree, having fought gallantly embraced Shahadat,” the ISPR statement read.

Sources told Dawn that gun battles occurred in the Baghray and Dray Naghari area of the Tirah valley, where the security forces had raided a hideout of the banned outfit, Lashkar-i-Islam. During the raid, a heavy exchange of fire took place. As a result, four security personnel were martyred. Lashkar-i-Islam claimed responsibility for the attack.

The army’s media wing said that following the raid, a sanitisation operation was being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area. It added that security forces of Pakistan “are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve”.

According to a study released in June, the number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan witnessed a phenomenal surge of 73pc during the first 21 months of Taliban interim government in Afghanistan, compared to the corresponding period before their takeover. Overall, terrorist violence has significantly increased inside Pakistan since August 15, 2021 when the Taliban took control of Kabul. The number of people killed in the attacks in Pakistan from August 2021 to April 2023 (21 months) has also increased by 138pc.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2023