Top commanders vow to 'eliminate' terrorism

RAWALPINDI: The military's top commanders Wednesday reaffirmed the Pakistan Army's resolve to eliminate the menace of terrorism, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

Pakistan has been dealing with a fresh wave of terrorism, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which has led to the martyrdom of several soldiers.

The resolve to eliminate terrorism was expressed at the 254th Corps Commanders Conference (CCC) in Rawalpindi — the first chaired by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, who took up the charge as the military's head last month.

At the conference, which took place from December 27-28 at the General Headquarters (GHQ), a comprehensive review of the professional and organisational matters of the army was undertaken, according to the ISPR's statement.

"It was resolved to fight against terrorists without any distinction and eliminate this menace as per the aspirations of the people of Pakistan," the military's media wing added.

The development comes after several terror attacks took place across Pakistan, with most of them in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, worrying the nation of a rise in terrorism.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also recently reiterated his resolve to uproot the menace of terrorism by using all resources available in Pakistan.

"We are working hard to prevent them. We will employ all resources to uproot terrorism to bring peace in Pakistan," the premier added.

Recently, the Islamabad Police came up with a “special security plan" after a suicide attack left a cop martyred and injured several others.

Security checkpoints have increased across the capital and "high alert" has been imposed while citizens have been advised to ensure cooperation with law enforcers.

In light of the high alert, several embassies — including the United States, Saudi Arabia and Australia — warned their citizens not to travel unnecessarily in the federal capital.

On Sunday, as many as nine intermittent blasts hit Balochistan — in Quetta, Khuzdar, and other areas — leaving five soldiers, including a captain, martyred and injuring 15 others on Sunday.

Earlier this month, militants sieged a Counter-Terrorism Department’s (CTD) compound in KP's Bannu area, which was cleared by the Pakistan Army soldiers three days later. However, four soldiers embraced martyrdom and 10 sustained injuries.