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Arab News
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Army major among three soldiers killed in Balochistan blast, four militants slain in counterstrike
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan Army major was among three soldiers killed when their vehicle was targeted by an improvised explosive device in Balochistan's Mastung district, the military said late Wednesday night, adding that security forces later killed four militants in a retaliatory operation. Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, is strategically important due to its mineral wealth and its role as a transit hub for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). However, the province has long been gripped by a separatist insurgency, with groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) ramping up attacks in recent years. Islamabad calls these outfits proxies of Indian intelligence, branding them 'Fitna-e-Hindustan,' India's mischief, though the charge is denied by New Delhi. 'On night 5/6 August 2025, terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Hindustan, targeted a Security Forces' vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Mastung District,' the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. 'Resultantly, three brave sons of soil; Maj Muhammad Rizwan Tahir (31, Narowal), Naik Ibni Amin (37, Swabi), and Lance Naik Muhammad Younas (33, Karak), paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat [martyrdom].' The army said Major Tahir was a decorated officer who had led numerous counterterrorism missions from the front. A subsequent 'sanitization operation' in the area led to the killing of four 'Indian-sponsored terrorists,' the statement added. The military said its operation in the area was still continuing, vowing to eliminate all threats. 'Such sacrifices further strengthen our resolve to wipe out the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country,' the ISPR added. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack in a statement, paid tribute to the fallen soldiers, and lauded the military's swift response. 'Security forces are standing like a wall in defense of the nation,' he said, adding the country remains committed to eradicating militancy and extremism in all its forms. Balochistan has seen a string of high-profile militant attacks this year. In March, the BLA hijacked a passenger train, and in May, a suicide bombing in Khuzdar killed several children after targeting their school bus. Security forces, civilians and non-local workers are frequently targeted in coordinated attacks across the province.
Express Tribune
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Major, two soldiers martyred in Mastung
Three security personnel embraced martyrdom in an attack by Indian proxy terrorists, while four Fitna al Hindustan terrorists were killed in the ensuing sanitisation operation in Mastung district of Balochistan, the media wing of the military said on Wednesday. The incident happened as a series of deadly attacks targeted security forces and government officials across multiple districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries, as authorities launched search operations to hunt down the terrorists, police said. "On night 5/6 August 2025, terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Hindustan, targeted a Security Forces' vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Mastung District, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. "Resultantly, three brave sons of soil; Maj Muhammad Rizwan Tahir (age: 31 years; resident of: Narowal District) along with Naik Ibni Amin (age: 37 years; resident of Swabi District) and Lance Naik Muhammad Younas (age: 33 years; resident of Karak District) paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat." "In the ensuing sanitization of the area, four Indian sponsored terrorists were located and sent to hell," the ISPR said. "Sanitization operation would continue to eliminate any terrorist present in the area," it added. According to the ISPR, Major Rizwan Shaheed was a brave officer, who participated in numerous counter-terrorism operations and always led his troops from the front. "The security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian Sponsored Terrorism from the country, and such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resolve." In K-P, the attacks occurred across five districts – Karak, Lakki Marwat, South Waziristan, Swat and Peshawar, including an assassination attempt on the South Waziristan deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner. Both the officers remained safe, but their two staff members were injured. Unidentified armed men opened fire on the vehicle of Deputy Commissioner Asmatullah Wazir, and Assistant Commissioner in the Kot Addana area of Ladha Tehsil, when the officials were travelling from Ladha to Makeen. In the indiscriminate firing from the terrorists, Ejaz, a clerk of the Assistant Commissioner Finance and Planning, and police constable Gul Nawaz sustained injuries. Both were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police confirmed that the deputy commissioner and other staff members were swiftly moved to a safe location. Following the incident, heavy contingents of police and security forces reached the site, and a search operation has been launched to track down the assailants. Meanwhile, terrorists ambushed a convoy of forces near the MS Post checkpoint in the same district. The forces retaliated with overwhelming force, killing three attackers in a fierce firefight. Two soldiers – Havaldar Hakeem and Havaldar Ziaur Rehman – were evacuated with non-life-threatening injuries. However, the bloodiest attack in K-P on Wednesday occurred in the remote Banda Daud Shah tehsil of the Karak district, where, according to local police, heavily armed militants ambushed an FC patrol assigned to protect the strategic Gurguri oil field. Police said that the terrorists, positioned on a hilltop overlooking the road, opened indiscriminate automatic fire on the FC vehicle as it passed through the Aman Kot area at around 11:30 am. The firefight lasted several minutes. Three FC personnel and their civilian driver were martyred at the scene. They were identified as Lance NaikMahmood Shah, Sepoy Shahidullah, Sepoy Abdul Rauf, and their driver Abdul Shakoor. The injured were rushed to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Teri. Even as authorities responded to the Karak attack, reports flooded in of more violence across the troubled province. In Lakki Marwat, unidentified gunmen shot dead FC soldier Attaullah near the railway station as he was returning home on leave. The violence extended to the previously peaceful Swat Valley, where a prolonged gun battle erupted between police and suspected terrorists in the mountainous Gwalari region. The clash resulted in the death of a civilian and critically injured police officer Sahibzada. Regional Police Officer (RPO) Malakand Sher Akbar rushed to the site. "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police are fully prepared, determined, and alert to deal with all kinds of challenges," RPO Akbar told reporters. He praised the high morale and unmatched bravery of the police personnel. Yet another targeted attack occurred near Warsak Road in Peshawar, where police officials were ambushed, resulting in the martyrdom of Inspector Ali Hussain and two others. The multiple coordinated attacks drew swift condemnation from the highest levels of government. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the terrorist incidents in K-P, calling them cowardly acts carried out by the enemies of peace, labelling the perpetrators as "agents of Fitna-e-Hindustan". K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur also condemned the incidents and directed authorities to take immediate action to arrest those involved. "We salute the security personnel and their families who sacrificed their lives for the country and the nation," he said. (WITH INPUT FROM OUR MIRANSHAH AND DERA ISMAIL KHAN CORRESPONDENTS & APP)
