Islamabad - Four personnel of the Pakistan Army including a major embraced martyrdom, while attempting to foil a terrorist attack in Khyber Pakh-tunkhwa’s Upper Dir District in the small hours of Wednesday.
An Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release said that Major Ali Salman, who belonged to an intelligence agency, along with his team carried out an intelligence-based operation (IBO) against a terrorist hideout in Sultankhel Dara in Upper Dir.
When the security personnel raided the hideout, the suspected militants opened fire on the soldiers.
One of the two suicide bombers present inside the hideout then blew himself up, while the other was killed in the exchange of fire with soldiers. One suspected terrorist was apprehended during the operation, the ISPR statement said.
The martyred officer and soldiers were identified as Major Ali Salman, Havaldar Ghulam Nazir, Havaldar Akhtar and Sepoy Abdul Karim.
The forces after the incidents cordoned off the area and arrested a dozen suspected persons during an operation.
Later, Namaz-e-Janaza of Maj Ali Salman Shaheed was offered at Lahore Garrison. Senior serving and retired military and civil officials, relatives of the Shaheed and large number of people from all walks of life attended the Namaz-e-Janaza. He was buried with full military honours at his native town Lahore.
On the occasion, father of Major Ali Salman Shaheed received the national flag in which the coffin of his brave son was draped prior to burial.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi expressed his grief over the martyrdom of the army personnel, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
The prime minister stated that war against terrorism is in fact war of our existence as a sovereign nation. “Our valiant forces have inflicted huge damage upon terrorist elements but at the same time have rendered huge sacrifices in doing so. Each drop of blood of our heroes is a testament to the fact that we all are united as a nation to cleanse our beloved motherland from terrorist elements,” stated the prime minister.
He said these cowardly attacks on our law enforcing agencies can never shake our resolve or slow down anti-terror operations.
The prime minister prayed for the departed souls and expressed sympathies with the bereaved families of the martyrs.
Incidents of terrorism in Pakistan have shown a drop over the three-year period from 2014-2017, the ISPR had announced earlier.
Since the launch of Operation Raddul Fasaad, the army has launched 46 major operations in the country and over 9,000 IBOs. Around 1,760 joint checkposts have been established in coordination with police and other law enforcement agencies at the Pak-Afghan border.
Major among 4 armymen martyred in Dir operation
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