Two soldiers, five civilians embrace martyrdom in DI Khan gun attack on health centre

Terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Dera Ismail Khan district launched a gun attack on Rural Health Center (RHC) situated in Kirri Shamozai area leaving seven people including two army soldiers and five civilians including children martyred, the military's media wing said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the civilians who lost their lives in the gun attack were the staff of RHC, including two lady health workers and a watchman of the facility, besides the two children.

"On the night between July 15 and 16, the terrorists carried out a cowardly attack on Rural Health Center (RHC), Kirri Shamozai in Dera Ismail Khan District and opened indiscriminate fire on RHC staff," the ISPR said in a statement after the incident.

"Security forces in vicinity were immediately mobilised for clearance operation in RHC and in ensuing fire exchange, own troops effectively engaged the terrorists as a result of which three terrorists were sent to hell."

Meanwhile, the security forces personnel who were martyred during the intense exchange of fire were identified as Naib Subedar Muhammad Farooq, 44, and Sepoy Muhammad Javed Iqbal, 23.

The military's media wing stated that sanitisation of the area was being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area.

"The perpetrators of this heinous and cowardly act targeting innocent civilians, especially women and children, will be brought to justice," it added.

This is the second terrorist attack in a period of 24 hours as eight soldiers were martyred while trying to foil a terrorist infiltration into Bannu Cantonment in the wee hours of July 15.

As per the ISPR, all 10 terrorists who tried to enter the Cantt were killed as they rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the cantonment when their attack failed.

The suicide blast, the ISPR said, led to the collapse of a portion of the wall and damaged the adjoining infrastructure, resulting in the martyrdom of eight brave sons of soil.

The attacks come as Islamabad time again called on the Afghan Taliban administration in Kabul to prevent its soil from being used by various banned outfits for terrorist attacks against Pakistan.

Last month, the government approved the launching of operation "Azm-e-Istehkam", a renewed national anti-terror drive, in light of the surge in terrorist attacks in the country in recent months.

The country, during the second quarter of 2024 witnessed 380 violence-linked fatalities and 220 injuries among civilians, security personnel, and outlaws, resulting from as many as 240 incidents of terror attacks and counter-terror operations, said a Security Studies (CRSS) Annual Security report.

This includes 236 fatalities among civilians and security forces personnel, the report said.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both of which share borders with neighbouring Afghanistan, have faced the brunt of the terrorist attacks and reported nearly 92% of all fatalities and 87% of attacks — wherein the former suffering 67% and the latter 25% of all fatalities in Q2, 2024.