Pakistan Army captain, sepoy martyred in cross-border attack from Afghanistan

F.P. Report

RAWALPINDI: A cross-border attack by terrorist from Afghanistan in Pakistan’s Bajaur Agency led to the martyrdom of two Pakistan Army troops, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday.

Captain Junaid Hafeez and Sepoy Raham were martyred in the attack on a border post of the Pakistan Army.

At least eight terrorists were also killed in the attack and others were injured in retaliatory fire from the Army.

The Army’s media wing added that remaining terrorists withdrew across the border after sustaining casualties.

Attacks originating from Afghanistan by militants have become more regular as militants have established sanctuaries in Afghanistan. On Nov 9, an Army sepoy, Mohammad Ilyas, was martyred during an exchange of fire with terrorists in Khyber Agency.

Terrorists had opened fire at multiple places at the newly established Pakistani posts in Rajgal Valley, exploiting the absence of any control in Afghan border areas. On October 3, another soldier had embraced martyrdom after terrorists fired from across the Afghan border on a border post.

The incident had occurred at the recently cleared area around Mustil pass, an important passage from Afghanistan into Rajgal, in Khyber Agency. The martyred soldier was identified by ISPR as Naib Subedar Azher Ali.

The army in August announced the successful completion of Operation Khyber-4 in the Rajgal area of Khyber Agency.

In a press conference, Director-General ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor had announced that 253 square kilometers had been cleared of militants’ presence.

In order to create a more permanent security presence in the volatile area, the army also set up 91 check posts in Rajgal Valley. Operation Khyber-4 was launched to stop infiltration of terrorists from across the Pak-Afghan border.