Two soldiers embrace martyrdom in Balochistan terrorist attack: ISPR

• During exchange of fire, two soldiers, Naik Atif and sepoy Qayyum embrace martyrdom while Major Umer receives injuries.
• ISPR says security forces successfully repulsed distant fire raid and pursued terrorists into nearby mountains.
• During clash, substantial losses were also incurred to terrorists, says ISPR.

Two Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred when unidentified terrorists raided a post of security forces in the Harnai area of Balochistan on Saturday night, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement.

According to the military’s media wing, “On [the] night [of] 13/14 August 22, terrorists fire raided a security forces post in general area Khost, near Harnai, Balochistan.”

The ISPR said that the security forces successfully repulsed the distant fire raid and pursued the fleeing terrorists into the nearby mountains.

The military's media affairs wing said, “As a follow up, during an encircling effort to cut off fleeing terrorists, a heavy exchange of fire took place between terrorists and a security forces patrol as well.”

During the exchange of fire, two soldiers, Naik Atif and sepoy Qayyum embraced martyrdom while Major Umer received injuries.

During the clash, substantial losses were also incurred to the terrorists, said the ISPR.

“At the eve of 75th Independence Day, security forces, in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan,” the statement added.

Two soldiers martyred in Dir blast

In another incident, two soldiers of the Pakistan Army were martyred in a blast in Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ISPR said earlier today. 

In a brief statement, the military's media wing said that the explosion occurred in the Barawal area of Dir.

The martyred soldiers were identified as Sajid Ali and Adnan Mumtaz, both of whom belonged to Azad Kashmir.

“[The] Pakistan Army is determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers will not go unpunished,” ISPR stated.

News of the martyrdom of the soldiers comes after the military had on Saturday strongly responded to reports claiming that a large number of militants belonging to the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were present in Swat.

In a statement, the ISPR had said that during the last few days, a misperception about the presence of a large number of TTP’s armed members in Swat Valley has been created on social media.

The ISPR, however, noted that the presence of a small number of armed men has been observed on a few mountain tops between Swat and Dir, but that it is located far away from the population.

These individuals, the ISPR said, had apparently sneaked in from Afghanistan to resettle in their native areas.