PESHAWAR: Three ar­­my soldiers were martyred and five militants killed in attacks from across the Pak-Afghan border on military posts in North Waziristan district on Friday, sources said.

Military officials said terrorists attacked army posts along the border in the Shawal area of the district in an apparent attempt to overrun them.

The army men deployed at the posts, however, managed to repulse the attacks. Five of the assailants were killed in the process.

Five attackers killed

According to the officials, three army soldiers embraced martyrdom in the gun battle — Havaldar Iftikhar, a resident of Sarg­o­dha; Sepoy Aftab, who hai­led from Chitral; and Se­p­oy Usman of Gujrat. Caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk expressed grief over the loss of three precious lives of Pakistan Army officials who embra­ced martyrdom in Shawal while repelling the terrorist attack on the posts from across the border, according to a PM House statement.

Strongly condemning the attack, the prime minister lauded the courage of the valiant sons of soil.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2018