The Pakistan Army has expressed serious concerns about safe havens and liberty of action available to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Friday.
The military’s media wing statement came as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir visited Quetta Garrison, where he was briefed on the recent terrorist attack in Zhob in which nine soldiers embraced martyrdom.
“The COAS paid rich tribute to the Shuhada, visited the injured soldiers at CMH, Quetta, lauded their services to the nation and appreciated their resolve,” the statement added.
Earlier this week, nine soldiers were martyred as terrorists launched a “dastardly attack” on the Pakistan Army’s Zhob Garrison in Northern Balochistan, the ISPR had said in a statement.
In the wee hours of Wednesday, a group of terrorists launched a dastardly attack on the garrison, the ISPR said, adding that the initial attempt to sneak into the facility was “checked by soldiers on duty”.
Upon interception, a heavy exchange of fire took place between the terrorists and soldiers, with the militants being “contained into a small area at the boundary”.
Later at night, the army’s media wing announced that the clearance operation at the Zhob Cantt had been completed, adding that five terrorists have been killed during the operation.
Referring to the attack in the today’s statement, the military’s information wing said it is expected that the interim Afghan government would not allow the use of its soil to perpetrate terror against any country, in the real sense and in line with commitments made in the Doha agreement.
“The involvement of Afghan nationals in acts of terrorism in Pakistan is another important concern that needs to be addressed,” the statement emphasised.
Such attacks are intolerable and would elicit an effective response from the security forces of Pakistan, it added.
The ISPR further said operations against terrorists would continue unabated and the armed forces “shall not rest till the menace of terrorism is rooted out from the country”.
