Islamabad, 25 July (H.S.):

At least 15 people, including 14 security personnel, were killed in a terrorist attack on a joint police checkpost in Pakistan's Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to the Pakistan Army's media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces killed 12 terrorists during the retaliatory operation.

Quoting the ISPR, Geo News reported that the attack took place on the night of July 23–24, when militants attempted to breach the security perimeter of the checkpost. Security forces responded immediately and successfully foiled the infiltration attempt. They then pursued the fleeing attackers and neutralised 12 militants.

The military said that after failing to overrun the checkpost, the terrorists rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into its outer wall. The powerful explosion caused extensive damage to the facility and claimed the lives of 15 people.

The deceased included 12 Army personnel, two police officers and a former government official from the Forest Department.

The ISPR said a sanitisation operation is continuing in the area to locate and eliminate any remaining terrorists. The military reiterated that the armed forces and law enforcement agencies remain committed to continuing counter-terrorism operations until the threat of terrorism is eliminated from the country.

Following the attack, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the incident. Both leaders paid tribute to the fallen security personnel and praised the security forces for eliminating 12 terrorists during the operation.

Pakistan has witnessed a significant rise in terrorist attacks since the Taliban returned to power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Against this backdrop, the Pakistani government has continued to intensify its counter-terrorism operations across the country.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar