Nine soldiers and five “terrorists” were killed in the raid, the military has said
Heavily armed militants have tried to break into an army base in a mountainous area of Pakistan, the country’s army has said.
According to the Pakistan Army, “a group of terrorists” attacked an installation in the city of Zhob in the country’s southwestern Balochistan Province in the early hours of Wednesday.
“Initial attempt of terrorists to sneak into the facility was checked by soldiers on duty,” the army said in a statement, adding that five assailants were killed in “ensuing heavy exchange of fire.” Nine Pakistani soldiers died in the raid.
Another firefight took place in Balochistan’s Sui area on Wednesday, in which two militants were killed and three Pakistani security personnel lost their lives.
“Security forces are maintaining pressure and [a] clearance operation is underway to apprehend remaining terrorists as well,” the army said.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attacks. “The ongoing war against terrorism is the war for the nation’s future,” he wrote on Twitter, expressing condolences to the victim’s families.
Interior Minister Rana Sanuallah praised the bravery of the troops, saying that soldiers had sacrificed their lives to prevent “a major catastrophe.”
Although the authorities did not name a specific organization, both Islamist and separatist groups are active in Balochistan.
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