Building collapses due to blasts
PESHAWAR, Dec 12: At least 23 Pakistani soldiers were killed today when militants linked to a Pakistani Taliban affiliate rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a security forces’ post in restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, the army said, in one of the worst terror attacks targeting security forces in recent years.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the army, six terrorists attacked the security post in Dera Ismail Khan’s Daraban area bordering the South Waziristan tribal district in the early morning hours.
“The attempt to enter the post was effectively thwarted which forced the terrorists to ram an explosive laden vehicle into the post, followed by a suicide bombing attack.
“The resulting blasts led to the collapse of the building, causing multiple casualties,” it said.
Twenty-three Pakistan Army soldiers wre killed while all six terrorists were “effectively engaged and sent to hell,” the ISPR said.
It added that sanitisation operations were being conducted to eliminate any other terrorist present in the area. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthens our resolve,” the ISPR said.
An emergency was declared in district hospitals while all schools and colleges were closed due to the attack.
The Tehrik-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a newly formed militant group that is an affiliate of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack.
TJP spokesperson Mullah Qasim termed the attack a “suicide mission” (Fidayein).
Separately, 17 terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation in the Darazinda area of Dera Ismail Khan, the army said.
“During the conduct of operation, terrorists’ hideout was busted and 17 terrorists were sent to hell,” the military’s media affairs wing said.
‘The ISPR further stated that two soldiers were killed while four more terrorists were neutralised in another IBO in the Kulachi area.
“The killed terrorists were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as killing of innocent civilians. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered during the operation,” the statement said. The TJP terror outfit has been behind some major attacks in Pakistan.
On November 4, the TJP militants attacked the Pakistan Air Force’s Mianwali Training Air Base, some 300 km from Lahore, damaging three grounded aircraft. All the attackers were killed in the army operation, which came a day after 17 soldiers were killed in three separate terror strikes in the country. (PTI)
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