Pakistani President and Prime Minister Vow to Continue Fight Against Terrorism After Deadly Attack in Khyber
Islamabad, April 24 (KUNA) -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack launched by militants today, Friday, on a security checkpoint in the rugged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwestern Pakistan, which killed 14 soldiers. They vowed to continue the war on terrorism and pursue its elements until this scourge is eradicated.
In separate statements, Zardari and Sharif praised the security forces for their success in killing 12 militants and thwarting the attack. They expressed their condolences to the families of the soldiers and affirmed that security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue their operations with full force to combat terrorism following this attack, which occurred as Pakistan witnesses an escalation in terrorist attacks, particularly in the mountainous provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which border Afghanistan.
Today, at least 14 security personnel, including 12 military members and one police officer, were killed, while 12 militants were killed in a terrorist attack targeting a joint police checkpoint in Tank district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan’s largest province, according to a military statement.
The statement said, “A cowardly terrorist attack targeted a joint police checkpoint in Tank district. The attackers attempted to breach the checkpoint’s security measures, but their plans were swiftly and decisively thwarted thanks to the vigilance of the security forces and their resolute response.” It added that clashes with the militants resulted in the death of 12 of them.
“In a desperate attempt, the attackers rammed a vehicle loaded with explosives into the wall surrounding the security checkpoint.”
The statement further noted that the force of the explosion caused severe damage to the checkpoint’s infrastructure, resulting in the deaths of 15 people, including 12 military personnel, one police officer, and a government official.
It added that a search operation is still ongoing, emphasizing that “the continuous campaign carried out by Pakistani security forces and law enforcement agencies to combat terrorism will continue at full pace to eliminate the threat of terrorism backed and funded by foreign entities,” according to the Pakistani statement. (End) S.B.K / H.S.S
