Terrorist killed, soldier martyred in Zhob gun battle: ISPR

RAWALPINDI: A Pakistan Army soldier was martyred and a terrorist killed on early Sunday during an exchange of fire with terrorists in Balochistan’s Zhob, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

According to the military’s media wing, “based on credible intelligence, an operation was launched in Sambaza area of Zhob, to stop terrorists from using few suspected routes to move across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and to sneak into Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), along the interprovincial boundary and target citizens and security forces.”

As a result of continuous surveillance and sanitisation of the area, a group of terrorists was intercepted in the early hours today, the ISPR added.

The press statement furthered stated that during “the establishment of blocking positions to deny them escape routes, terrorists opened fire onto the security forces”.

In the ensuing exchange of fire, a terrorist was killed while a soldier, Sepoy Haq Nawaz, was martyred. Two soldiers sustained were injured in the gunfight, the ISPR statement said.

“The terrorists were supported by their facilitators from across the border as well during the exchange of fire,” it added.

The military’s media wing said the sanitisation operation continues in the area to apprehend the remaining perpetrators.

Earlier this week, three people including a Pakistan Army solider were martyred when a suicide attacker struck a security forces vehicle in North Waziristan’s Miranshah area.