F.P. Report
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Army’s Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Hassan Haider and three other soldiers were martyred in an exchange of fire with the terrorists during an intelligence-base operation (IBO) in Khyber District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Inter-Services Public Relations said on Monday.
The security forces led by Lt-Col Haider conducted the IBO in the general area of Tirah in Khyber District and killed three militants and injured three others. “During the conduct of the operation, own troops led by Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Hassan Haider, effectively engaged the terrorists’ location as a result of which three terrorists were sent to hell, while three terrorists got injured,” the military’s media wing stated.
The soldiers martyred in the operation were identified as Naik Khushdil Khan, 31, from Lakki Marwat District; Naik Rafique Khan, 27, from Charsadda District; and Lance Naik Abdul Qadir, 33, from District Murree.
The ISPR also said that the security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve Sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area, it added.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar expressed deep sorrow and grief over martyrdom of four army personnel, including a lieutenant colonel, while fighting with terrorists in Tirah area of Khyber District.
He offered his heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the families of martyrs and prayed for grant of courage to bear the loss with fortitude. The prime minister said the Pakistan Army soldiers sacrificed their lives for the security of the country in Tirah. “The entire nation, including me, is proud of its martyrs.”
He vowed to continue the war against terrorism until the complete eradication of terrorism from the country. The evil designs of the enemies of peace would never be allowed to succeed, he added.
Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi expressed deep grief and sorrow over martyrdom of Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Hassan Haider and three soldiers, including Naik Khush Dil Khan, Naik Rafique Khan and Lance Naik Abdul Qadeer in the terrorist attack in Tiraah area of Khyber district.
The minister, in a condolence message, prayed to the Almighty to rest the departed souls of in the highest ranks of Jannah and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear the irreparable loss with equanimity and fortitude. He said the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the protection of Pakistan were the heroes of the nation.
The martyrs had made an unprecedented history of bravery and courage with their blood, he added. The minister said the officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army played a major role in the fight against terrorism. The entire nation paid tribute to the martyrs of the Pakistan Army, he remarked. He vowed that the state would uproot the terrorism from the country. The entire nation stood with the Pakistan Army to defeat terrorism in the country.
