Tariq Saeed
Peshawar
As many as four Pakistani soldiers were martyred and another sustained serious injuries in a cross-border attack from hostile Afghanistan and terrorists attack on men in uniform near Pak-Afghan border Saturday wee hours. The retaliatory fire from the forces also left two miscreants dead.
In a major incident the alleged terrorists from the war-ridden neighbouring country opened indiscriminate firing on the Pak Army soldiers busy in border fencing at Pak-Afghan border in Dir district on the night between Friday and Saturday as the naked aggression from Afghanistan continued. The ambush, as the reports said, resulted in the Shahadat of three soldiers and serious injuries to another.
The martyred soldiers included Lance Naik Said Amin Afridi, age 28 years, resident of District Khyber, Lance Naik Muhammad Shoaib Swati, age 31 years, District Mansehra, Sepoy Kashif Ali, age 22 years, resident of District Noshera.
In yet another incident taking place in the North Waziristan Tribal district a group of miscreants opened fired on a routine patrolling party of security forces near Abba Khel area of Spinwam tehsil on the night between Friday and Saturday. As a result, 23-year-old Sepoy Akhtar Hussein, a resident of District Baltistan, embraced martyrdom. However, the retaliatory fire from the security forces also left two alleged terrorists dead.
The security forces are also reported to kick off operation in the North Waziristan tribal district following the attack on the troops. The militants from the neighbouring Afghanistan, it may be recalled, have been crossing into Pakistani territory often in Dir district for the last many years and launching attacks on the troops as well as the civilian population. During this period many people both civilians and troops were martyred though effective retaliation from the valiant security forces also killed many intruders. While the Army sources say “Taking advantage of ungoverned spaces and facilitation inside Afghanistan, the terrorists resort to such attacks to prevent fencing and construction of border posts” the independent sources do not rule out the possibility of Afghan National Army’s involvement in the cross border naked aggression as they do not spare an opportunity to launch ambushes on the Pakistani troops off and on.
Agencies add:
A Pakistan Army soldier was martyred after Indian troops resorted to “unprovoked firing” in the Hajipir sector of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, ISPR said on Saturday.
The official was identified as 33-year-old Havaldar Nasir Hussain, a resident of Narowal, who had been in service for 16 years. A second ISPR statement issued later in the day said Indian troops had also resorted to unprovoked firing in Nakyal and Jandrot sectors, targeting the civilian population.
As a result of the firing, a woman identified as Fatima Bibi, a 40-year-old resident of village Balakot, died, while six others including four women sustained injuries. The injured were evacuated to a nearby medical facility for medical treatment, the press release added.
Shariq Talat, a disaster management officer in Kotli, told media that besides Fatima Bibi, seven others were injured in “indiscriminate” Indian shelling. They were identified as Nazia Bibi, 36; Shah Begum, 70; Gul Yasmin, 50, and her 21-year-old daughter Shumaila; Muhammad Lal in Daryari Paalani village; Muhammad Ilyas, 28, a resident of Androth Palani village; and Muhammad Sabir, 48, in Dharoti Mohra.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office on Saturday summoned Indian Charge d‘Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia to lodge a protest against Saturday’s “unprovoked ceasefire violations” by the Indian army.