ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed his unwavering resolve to eradicate terrorism after two soldiers were martyred in a suicide attack in Dera Ismail Khan. Two soldiers were martyred after a suicide bomber attacked a military convoy on Tank Road in Hathala Dera Ismail Khan Police Station jurisdiction on Thursday.
Police said the attack also injured at least 22 people. According to a police report, the convoy was on its way to Tank from Dera Ismail Khan when a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the convoy, resulting in the martyrdom of two soldiers on the spot and injuries to nearly two dozen others.
In a statement released today, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said: “A suicide bomber in a vehicle exploded in a convoy of security forces in Dera Ismail Khan district”. “As a result, two brave sons of the soil, Naib Subedar Yasir Shakeel and Sepoy Tahir Naveed received martyrdom,” it said.
“Pakistan’s security forces remain committed to eliminating the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices by our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve. Moreover, the perpetrators of this cowardly attack will be brought to justice,” the ISPR added. Prime Minister Shehbaz said in a statement that the Pakistan Army is firmly committed to removing the scourge of terrorism.
According to state radio station Radio Pakistan, the prime minister said the war against terrorism will continue until the menace is completely eradicated from the country. He strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the army convoy and also sympathized with the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar condemned the attack and said terrorists were “enemies of peace and stability,” according to a report by state-run Radio Pakistan. He said any attempt to harm national security would be dealt with “iron hands”. Tarar added that the entire nation stood with the security forces in the war against terrorism.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the martyrs and added that the government will have peace only after the country is completely rid of the scourge of terrorism. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also condemned the attack. He said in a statement that security forces were the target of a “cowardly act of violence”.
He reiterated the party’s stand against terrorism and expressed condolences to the bereaved. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman said that the entire nation is united against terrorism and the party has faith in the country’s security forces. Pakistan has witnessed an increase in terrorist activities in the past year, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended a ceasefire with the government in November 2022.
On Wednesday, two soldiers were martyred while Pakistan Army killed eight terrorists after foiling an attack on Gwadar Port Authority Colony. According to the annual security report released by the Center for Research and Security Studies, Pakistan witnessed 1,524 violence-related deaths and 1,463 injuries in 789 terrorist attacks and counter-terrorism operations in 2023 – a record six-year high. The main centers of violence were KP and Balochistan, which accounted for more than 90 percent of all deaths and 84 percent of attacks, including incidents of terrorism and operations by security forces.
