Lt Colonel among 4 soldiers martyred in Tirah action

RAWALPINDI: An officer of Pakistan Army and three soldiers were martyred while three terrorists were killed during an Intelligence Based Operation (IBO) in Khyber district on Monday.

Security forces conducted an intelligence based operation in general area Tirah, Khyber District on reported presence of terrorists on Monday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said.

During conduct of the operation, troops led by Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Hassan Haider, effectively engaged the terrorists’ location as a result of which three terrorists were killed, while three terrorists got injured.

However, during intense exchange of fire, four brave sons of soil; Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Hassan Haider (age: 43 years, resident of Islamabad), Naik Khushdil Khan (age: 31 years, resident of District Lakki Marwat), Naik Rafique Khan (age: 27 years, resident of District Charsadda) and Lance Naik Abdul Qadir (age: 33 years, resident of District Murree), having fought gallantly embraced Shahadat.

Sanitization operation is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area. Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve, the ISPR said.

Meanwhile, funeral prayers of Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Hassan Haider Shaheed, Naik Khushdil Khan Shaheed, Naik Rafique Khan and Lance Naik Abdul Qadir who embraced Shahadat were offered in Peshawar Garrison.

Shuhada will be laid to rest with full military honours in their respective hometowns. Corps Commander Peshawar, and a large number of serving officers and Jawans, civil officials and general public attended the funeral.

Expressing grief over the loss of Lt Colonel and other soldiers’ lives, caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar said: “Pakistan Army soldiers embraced martyrdom for the safety of the country”.

“I and the entire nation are proud of our martyrs,” Kakar said while praying for the high ranks of the martyred soldiers in the hereafter.

He renewed the resolve to continue the war on terror until wiping the militancy out of the country. “We will not let the impure ambitions of the enemies of the country’s peace succeed ever,” the premier said.

Meanwhile, former president Asif Ali Zardari also reacted to the martyrdom of Lt-Col Haider and other soldiers. He said that the nation would not let the sacrifice of brave soldiers go in vain.

“An action like Operation [Rah-e-Haq] Swat is necessary to rid the country terrorists,” Zardari said adding that the militants are anti-Pakistan and they need to be eliminated.

Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi expressed deep grief and sorrow over martyrdom of Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Hassan Haider and three soldiers, including Naik Khush Dil Khan, Naik Rafique Khan and Lance Naik Abdul Qadeer in the terrorist attack in Tiraah area of Khyber district.

The minister, in a condolence message, prayed to the Almighty to rest the departed souls of in the highest ranks of Jannah and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear the irreparable loss with equanimity and fortitude.

He said the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the protection of Pakistan were the heroes of the nation. The martyrs had made an unprecedented history of bravery and courage with their blood, he added.

The minister said the officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army played a major role in the fight against terrorism. The entire nation paid tribute to the martyrs of the Pakistan Army, he remarked. He vowed that the state would uproot the terrorism from the country.

The entire nation stood with the Pakistan Army to defeat terrorism in the country. Caretaker Minister for Interior Sarfraz Ahmad Bugti expressed deep sorrow over the martyrdom of Lt. Col. Muhammad Hasan Haider and other soldiers in the operation against terrorists in Tirah Valley on Monday.

Sharing grief with the families of the martyrs, the minister prayed for the martyred Lt Col and other martyrs. In his message, the minister said that the security forces fought bravely and brought the three terrorists to their logical end.

Martyrs are the real heroes of the nation and the glory of the beloved country, said Sarfraz Bugti. The whole nation salutes the martyrs, the minister said adding that the eternal sacrifices of the security forces are unforgettable and the entire nation stands with them in the fight against terrorism.

Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has strongly condemned the terrorists’ attack on the convoy of security forces at Tirrah Valley of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’’s Khyber district.

In his message on Monday, the CM paid tribute to the great sacrifice of Lt Col Muhammad Hassan Haider and other jawans who embraced martyrdom while courageously fighting the terrorists.

The CM said that Lt Col Muhammad Hassan Haider, Shaheed Naik Khushdil Khan, Naik Rafiq Khan and Lance Naik Abdul Qadir have embraced martyrdom in the line of duty.

While lauding the martyrs, he said, “We are proud of their martyrdom and all our sympathies are with the bereaved heirs.” Meanwhile, terrorists who attacked Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) base in Mianwali had used American-made weapons, sources told Geo News on Monday.

The weapons recovered from the terrorists included RPG-7, AK-74, M-4 and M-16/A4, shared officials who spoke to the TV channel on condition of anonymity.

Last week, security forces eliminated nine militants in a clearance operation after a failed terrorist attack on the air base in a swift response by the troops, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had said.

The heavily-guarded PAF base was targeted by militants but the security forces foiled the attack and launched an operation to eliminate any potential threat in the surroundings.

“Alhumdolliah, the combing and clearance operation at PAF Training Airbase Mianwali has been concluded and all nine terrorists have been sent to hell,” the military’s media wing had said.

“No damage has been done to any of the PAF’s functional operational assets, while only some damage was done to three already phased-out non-operational aircraft during the attack,” added the statement.

ISPR had further said that the prompt and professional conclusion of the operation serves as a stark reminder to all enemies of peace that PAF remains vigilant and is fully capable of defending the homeland from any threat.

Islamabad has been consistently pointing out the use of US-made weapons by terrorists involved in attacks in the country. In September of this year, the Foreign Office had expressed concerns over the “advanced weapons” being used by the terrorists in Afghanistan to attack Pakistan and its security agencies.

“These modern weapons have fallen into the hands of terrorists in Afghanistan who are using these [weapons] to attack Pakistan and its security agencies,” said FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in a weekly briefing.

She said the situation needs international attention and called upon all stakeholders to assume the responsibility that they have in this regard.

In April a report by Radio Free Europe had confirmed that the modern weapons and military equipment — which was left behind by the US forces after the pullout from Afghanistan in 2001 — are being used by banned Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch separatist groups for terrorism in Pakistan.

The US had left behind weapons and military equipment worth $7 billion which later boosted the military capabilities of the terrorist groups in Pakistan.

The report said that the US left behind firearms, communications gear, and even armoured vehicles which gave the militants a “vast war chest”.

The report said that using the US weapons and equipment, both the TTP and Baloch separatist groups were waging insurgencies against the government in Pakistan, which has witnessed a surge in violence over the past two years.