As many as eight soldiers were martyred and 10 terrorists were killed when the security forces personnel foiled a terror attack on Bannu Cantonment on Monday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

According to a statement issued by the ISPR on Tuesday, a suicide car-bomber rammed his vehicle into the Cantonment wall, flattening a part of it.

In retaliation by the security forces, all the terrorists who attacked the Cantonment on July 15 were killed in the clearance operation.

The ISPR statement said Cantonment infrastructure was also damaged in the suicide car bomb blast.

The martyred soldiers were identified as Naib Subedar Muhammad Shehzad (age 44 years, resident of District Poonch, AJK), Havildar Zil-e-Hussain (age 39 years, resident of District Khushab), Havildar Shahzad Ahmed (age 28 years, resident of District Neelum, AJK), Sepoy Ashfaq Hussain Khan (age 30 years, resident of District Muzaffarabad, AJK), Sepoy Sobhan Majeed (age 22 years, resident of District Muzaffarabad, AJK), Sepoy Imtiaz Khan (age 30 years, resident of District Karak), Sepoy Arsalan Aslam (age 26 years, resident of District Bahawalpur) of Pakistan Army and Lance Naik Sabz Ali (age 34 years, resident of Lakki Marwat) of Frontier Constabulary.

The gallant and selfless action of the security forces is a testament of unrelenting resolve in fight against terrorism.

The heinous act of terrorism has been undertaken by Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, which operates from Afghanistan and has used Afghan soil to orchestrate acts of terrorism inside Pakistan in the past as well, the ISPR statement said.

Pakistan has consistently raised its concerns with Interim Afghan Government, asking them to deny persistent use of Afghan soil by the terrorists and take effective action against such elements.

Pakistan Armed Forces will keep defending the motherland and its people against this menace of terrorism and will take all necessary measures as deemed appropriate against these threats emanating from Afghanistan.

Early Monday, gunship helicopters were called into action after a daring attack by terrorists to target Bannu Cantonment by bulldozing its wall with a car-bomb was thwarted by security forces personnel.

The timely retaliation by the alert security forces personnel foiled the terrorists’ plan to create havoc at the Bannu Cantonment at 4:40 am.

The terrorists tried to use an explosives-laden car to demolish a wall to enter the Bannu Cantt but were miserably failed to carry out their design.

According to sources, the security forces personnel succeeded in cornering the terrorists and launched a clearance operation in the area.

Eight people were injured in the blast which was carried out on Kohati Road in Bannu between the Supply Depot and Security Tower as a diversion. The security forces personnel quickly cordoned off the surrounding area of the Cantonment.

Sources said the blast was so intense that it shattered the windowpanes of nearby houses and cracked shutters of many shops.

The authorities immediately called gunship helicopters who were patrolling the area.

The sources indicated that they feared multiple casualties and injuries in the tragedy. However, preliminary reports confirmed that only eight people were injured in the bomb explosion.

It is worthy to mention that the operations of the security forces against the terrorists active in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were on going and many terrorists have already been neutralized in operations near the Afghan border areas.

President Zardari praises soldiers’ valor

President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday strongly denounced the terrorist incident in Bannu Cantonment and paid homage to the martyred soldiers for thwarting the attacks.

In a statement, the president highlighted that the nation’s soldiers prevented a major loss through swift action.

The president expressed that the entire nation was proud of the brave soldiers’ sacrifice and paid tribute to the security forces for their role in foiling the terrorist attack in Bannu Cantonment.

The President reiterated his commitment to eliminate those engaged in such despicable activities. He offered prayers for the martyrs, seeking their elevation in paradise and requesting patience for their grieving families.

PM salutes security forces

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed his admiration for the security forces for effectively thwarting a major attack on Bannu Cantonment.

In his statement, the PM vehemently denounced the terrorists for the assault on Bannu Cantonment and reiterated the nation’s steadfast backing of the security forces in their ongoing fight against terrorism.

The Prime Minister expressed heartfelt sympathy and sorrow for the families who lost loved ones, underscoring the unmatched sacrifices made by the Pakistan Army and security forces in combating terrorism.

The Prime Minister commended the security forces for their courage in confronting and decisively eliminating ten terrorists, emphasizing his unwavering resolve to eradicate terrorism from the country.

The prime minister prayed for the elevation of ranks in paradise for the martyred soldiers of the Pakistan Army.

Interior Minister condemns attack

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the cowardly attack on Bannu cantonment by terrorists.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the security forces for foiling the terrorist attack. Mohsin Naqvi also paid tribute to the martyred eight soldiers of security forces.

Mohsin Naqvi expressed his heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families of the martyrs.

In this message, Mohsin Naqvi said that the brave men of the nation foiled the big plan of terrorism by sacrificing their lives and sent 10 terrorists to hell.

Mohsin Naqvi said the brave soldiers of the security forces foiled the conspiracy of terrorism.

We salute the courage of the security forces for thwarting the nefarious intentions of the terrorists, Mohsin Naqvi said.

He said martyrs are the pride of the entire nation and we all stand with the families of the martyrs.

The great sacrifices of martyrs will always be remembered, Mohsin Naqvi said.

The Interior Minister said that enemy is making a heinous conspiracy to destabilize Pakistan.

We will end the scourge of terrorism with the strength of unity and agreement, Mohsin Naqvi said.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured personnel.

Reporters Ahmad Mansoor and Awais Kiyani