42 security personnel martyred, 54 terrorists neutralised in recent Balochistan attacks: DG ISPR

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry is currently addressing a press conference.

The press briefing comes amid persisting security concerns in the country, particularly Balochistan.

The DG ISPR said he would provide details of the recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan and inform about the background of those.

He noted that there have been “three major terrorist incidents” in the past four days.

The first took place on July 4/July 5 when “Fitna al Khawarij terrorists attacked the innocent local population” in Hanna Urak, he said, adding that the residents fought back very valiantly and “forced those terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna Al Khwarij to flee”.

The Pakistani government uses the term “Fitna al-Khawarij” to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates.

“During that, four brave innocent citizens were martyred and six were injured,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said.

Detailing the second incident, he recalled that FAK terrorists carried out a “multidirectional attack” on a police checkpost, which guards Pumping Station No.3 of Mangi Dam in Ziarat district.

On late Monday night, at least nine policemen, including two station house officers (SHOs), were martyred in a terrorist attack on the police post in Ziarat. Fifteen terrorists were killed in a clearance operation initiated following the attack.

The DG ISPR recalled that the policemen stood their ground and fought back and in “that fight, 15 kharji were sent to hell”, while nine policemen laid down their lives.

He noted that reinforcements of the army and the Frontier Corps were immediately dispatched, but “before they could reach, the terrorists took the remaining police officials and took them hostage”.

“Once the forces reached over there, there were at least 15 bodies of kharji left,” he said, highlighting that the cops were all locals.

Lt Gen Chaudhry recalled that the FC, army personnel and other law enforcement agencies (LEAs) “kept on engaging them and started surrounding them”.

“We were very careful because of the collateral damage not to use any aerial assets because they had taken our youth hostage,” he said.

The DG ISPR revealed that 18 policemen were martyred as engagement with terrorists continued in the “mountains of Ziarat since July 6”.

“During this time, several khariji were killed as well, and once they knew that the net around them had been absolutely tightened, these cowards, low-lives martyred 18 brave personnel of Balochistan. They did that today,” he said, specifying that they were “18 of our police young boys”.

The ISPR spokesman noted that the operation was still underway, with 11 terrorists killed so far.

Providing a breakdown of the casualties from the recent terrorist incidents, he said nine policemen were martyred on the first day (July 4/5) and another 18, bringing the total number of cops who lost their lives to 27.

On the losses inflicted upon the terrorists, he said, “The dead bodies were counted at the checkpost once they left the place were 15, and we have confirmed 11 [today], so total 26 kharijis have been killed.”

More to follow ...