Four soldiers martyred, five injured in Zhob terror incident: ISPR

ZHOB, July 12 (SABAH): Four Pakistan Army soldiers embraced martyrdom while five others were critically wounded after militants launched a dastardly attack on the Zhob garrison in northern Balochistan early on Wednesday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement, said the terrorists’ initial attempt to sneak into the facility was checked by soldiers on duty.

“In ensuing heavy exchange of fire, the terrorists have been contained into a small area at the boundary,” the ISPR said, adding that three heavily armed terrorists had been killed so far.

“A clearance operation by security forces is under way to apprehend the remaining two terrorists as well,” the statement said. “Security forces remain determined to thwart all such ghastly attempts at destroying peace of Balochistan and Pakistan,” the ISPR added.

A statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) says terror activities in the country have surged by 79pc during the first half of 2023. 

In June, ISPR Director General Maj Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told reporters that the security forces conducted 13,619 intelligence operations this year in which 1,172 terrorists were killed or arrested.