Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir interacting with officers and soldiers during his visit to Wana area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) South Waziristan district, December 22, 2024. – ISPR
RAWALPINDI: A day after 16 soldiers embraced martyrdom in the South Wazisitaion gunfight, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Friday reiterated the Pakistan Army’s resolve to eradicate terrorism and extremism in all its forms, a statement from the military media wing said.
The army chief made these remarks during his visit to Wana area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) South Waziristan district, the Inter-Services Public Relations said on Sunday. On his arrival in Wana he was received by the Corps Commander Peshawar.
During the visit, the ISPR said, the COAS received a comprehensive briefing on the prevailing security landscape and ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
Interacting with the officers and troops, he commended their unwavering resilience and steadfastness in the face of terrorism, reaffirming the country’s pride in their sacrifices. He emphasized that the martyrs were the pride of Pakistan and their sacrifices will never be forgotten.
General Munir emphasized that the courage, resilience and unyielding determination of the Pakistani armed forces were the “cornerstone of the country’s sovereignty”.
He described the soldiers of the Armed Forces and LEAs as the “true heroes of the nation, whose courage and selfless dedication inspire the entire country.”
He reaffirmed the Pakistan Army’s commitment to pursue and further hunt the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), now known as Fitna Al Khwarij, until its elimination, along with its ‘facilitator, accomplices and financier who will be forced to pay the price for their nefarious activities against the state.”
The army chief’s visit came a day after sixteen soldiers of the Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom while foiling terrorists’ attempt to attack a security checkpoint in South Waziristan district.
On the night of December 20-21, a group of terrorists tried to attack the security forces checkpoint at Makeen general area in the tribal district, the ISPR said.
It said the attempt was effectively foiled by troops and that in the ensuing firefight “eight khwarij (terrorists) were sent to hell”. ‘However, during an intense firefight, sixteen brave sons of the earth, after fighting bravely, embraced Shahadat.’
Pakistan has been grappling with increasing terrorist attacks for months, with a sharp increase in fatalities from terrorist violence and counter-terrorism campaigns in the third quarter (July-September) with a 90% increase in violence, according to a report released by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).
A total of 722 people were killed, including civilians, security personnel and bandits, while 615 others were injured in as many as 328 incidents recorded during the reporting period.
Nearly 97% of these fatalities occurred in KP and Balochistan – the highest percentage in a decade, and more than 92% of these incidents of terror attacks and security forces operations were recorded in the same provinces.
The total number of fatalities from three quarters of this year has now surpassed the total number of fatalities for all of 2023; the number of fatalities rose to at least 1,534 in the first three quarters, compared to 1,523 in 2023.