4 terrorists also killed in clash, TTP still use Afghan soil to carry out attacks against Pakistan 

By Imran Nasir 

ISLAMABAD (TSAT) - At least seven Pakistan’s army soldiers have been martyred during terrorists ambushed near the Afghan border, the military said on Friday.

In a statement, issued by the ISPR, the media wing of the Pakistan army, said terrorists targeted a military convoy near the Pak-Afghan border in the general area Isham, in North Waziristan District.

 “Own troops initiated a prompt response, effectively engaged and killed 4 terrorists. However, during an intense exchange of fire, 7  soldiers embraced Shahadat,” said ISPR.

Among them, Havaldar Tariq Yousaf (age 36 years, resident of Faisalabad), Sepoy Suleman Waqas (age 34 years, resident of Layyah), Sepoy Junaid Ali (age 26 years, resident of Layyah), Sepoy Ijaz Hussain (age 27 years, resident of Khairpur), Sepoy Waqar Ahmed (age 25 years, resident of Mirpur Khas), Sepoy Muhammad Jawad Ameer (age 24 years, resident of Chakwal) and Sepoy Arshad Ali (age 23 years, resident of Sohbatpur). 

Soon after the attack, the military launched a clearance operation in the area against the terrorist which is still underway.

“Pakistan Army is determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” said the military.

Terrorist attacks against the Pakistan army have recently been increased in northwestern Waziristan areas which was once a stronghold of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organization of Pakistani terrorists groups.  

However, the Pakistan army had launched a full-scale operation against these terrorist groups in 2014, and thousands of militants were killed and the remaining fled away to Afghanistan. 

TTP established its hideouts in Afghanistan’s provinces along with the Pakistan border and carried out hundreds cross border attacks against civilian and security forces during the last seven years from Afghanistan. 

Earlier during Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani’s governments, Pakistan was accusing the Indian intelligence agency RAW and former Afghan government spy agency NDS were behind the TTP and providing them logistic and financial support against Pakistan.

However, following the Taliban's took over the country in mid-August last year, the attacks still continue despite the group's promise to the international community to not allow Afghan soil to be used by any militant group against its neighbors.