ISPR says 25 martyred in Chitral attack

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army has confirmed that at least 25 security forces personnel including 16 Frontier Scouts were killed when 200-300 terrorists from Afghanistan attacked seven FC posts in Chitral early Saturday morning.

20 terrorists were killed when security forces retaliated, however two border posts were overrun by the terrorists. According to an ISPR press release, reinforcements have been sent to beef up the security posts.

Reportedly terrorists from Swat, Dir and Bajur organised by Fazlullah and Maulvi Faqir Muhammed with local Afghans attacked security forces in Chitral. Sine their expulsion from their native areas, the terrorists have organised themselves in Kunar and Nooristan provinces with the support of local Afghan authorities.

Due to scanty presence of NATO and ANA forces along the Pak-Afghan border, the terrorists are using these areas as safe havens and have mounted repeated attacks against own security forces posts and isolated villages.

It is pertinent to mention that since last year accurate intelligence about large concentration of terrorists from Pakistan and their local Afghan supporters in Kunar and Nooristan provinces has been shared with NATO and Afghan authorities but no worth while action has been taken against the terrorists and attacks against Pakistani border posts have continued with impunity.