RAWALPINDI: The funeral prayers of Pakistan Armed Forces’ soldiers who embraced martyrdom in a failed terrorist attack on a military cantonment in the Bannu district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were offered on Tuesday in Bannu Cantonment, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release.
According to ISPR, the brave soldiers of Pakistan’s armed forces embraced martyrdom during a suicide attack by terrorists on Bannu Cantonment. The martyred soldiers were identified as Naib Subedar Muhammad Shehzad Shaheed (44 years old, from District Poonch, AJK), Havildar Zil-e-Hussain Shaheed (39 years old, from District Khushab), Havildar Shahzad Ahmed Shaheed (28 years old, from District Neelum, AJK), Sepoy Ashfaq Hussain Khan Shaheed (30 years old, from District Muzzafarabad, AJK), Sepoy Sobhan Majeed Shaheed (22 years old, from District Muzzafarabad, AJK), Sepoy Imtiaz Khan Shaheed (30 years old, from District Karak), Sepoy Arsalan Aslam Shaheed (26 years old, from District Bahawalpur) of the Pakistan Army, and Lance Naik Sabz Ali Shaheed (34 years old, from Lakki Marwat) of Frontier Constabulary.
A large number of senior officers of the Pakistan Army, the general public, relatives of the martyrs and soldiers participated in the funeral prayer of the martyrs.
Earlier, ten terrorists were killed in a failed terrorist attack on the Bannu cantonment.
According to ISPR’s statement, a group of ten terrorists attacked Bannu Cantonment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the early hours of Monday.
Security forces successfully thwarted the attempt to breach the cantonment, forcing the terrorists to detonate an explosives-laden vehicle at the perimeter wall.
The suicide blast caused a section of the wall to collapse and damaged nearby infrastructure, resulting in the deaths of eight soldiers.
Pakistani troops effectively engaged the terrorists as a result of which all ten terrorists were killed during the ensuing operation, ISPR stated.
“The timely and effective response by security forces prevented a major catastrophe, saving precious innocent lives. The gallant and selfless actions of our forces underscore our unwavering resolve in the fight against terrorism,” the statement emphasized.
The terrorist attack was attributed to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, operating from Afghanistan, which has previously used Afghan territory to plan and execute attacks inside Pakistan.
Pakistan has consistently raised concerns with the Interim Afghan Government, urging action to prevent Afghan soil from being used by terrorists.
The Pakistan Armed Forces remain committed to defending the nation and its people against terrorism, and will take all necessary measures to counter threats originating from Afghanistan.
