Prime Minister Anwaar Ul Haq Kakar expressed his deep sorrow concerning the tragic incident that occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu on Thursday, where nine Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred in a terrorist attack.
Using his social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, he shared his heartfelt sentiments, stating, “I am deeply saddened by the loss of nine courageous soldiers in the Bannu Division, KP, due to a cowardly terrorist act that also left many injured.”
Heartbroken by the loss of 9 valiant soldiers in Bannu Division, KPK, to a cowardly terrorist act that injured many. Such acts are utterly reprehensible. My thoughts are with the families of the martyred and injured. 🇵🇰 stands resolute against such terror.
— Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (@anwaar_kakar) August 31, 2023
The prime minister strongly condemned such acts, labelling them as “completely reprehensible.” He extended his condolences to the families of the martyred soldiers and those who were injured, reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering stance against terrorism and its resolute commitment to combating this menace.
There was no official statement from the military regarding the incident.
Pakistan had experienced an increase in terrorist activities in the preceding months, with a particular focus on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. This escalation followed the termination of the ceasefire between the government and the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in November of the previous year.
On August 22, the military’s media wing reported that six soldiers had lost their lives in an exchange of gunfire in the South Waziristan district. The intense confrontation also resulted in the elimination of at least four terrorists.
In the previous month, a total of 12 soldiers from the Pakistan Army had tragically lost their lives in separate military operations conducted in the Zhob and Sui regions of Balochistan.
This marked the highest single-day casualty count from terrorist attacks reported by the military for that year. Prior to this incident, in February 2022, 10 personnel had been martyred during a ‘fire raid’ in Balochistan’s Kech district.
A comprehensive report, published in July by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies highlighted a concerning trend in the first half of that year. The report revealed a persistent and alarming increase in both terrorist and suicide attacks, resulting in the loss of 389 lives throughout the country.
