File photo. Abdul Majeed—AFP
At least 14 soldiers were martyred on Friday after terrorists attacked a security convoy in Gwadar, according to a statement issued by the military’s media wing.
The incident occurred when a security convoy was traveling from Pasni to Ormara in Gwadar district, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). It said a sanitization operation was underway in the area, stressing that the perpetrators of “this heinous act will be hunted down [and] brought to justice.”
The military’s media wing further vowed that security forces are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country and sacrifices of “our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve.”
Condemning the attack, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar vowed that the “evil intentions” of militants would not be allowed to succeed. He also paid tribute to the martyred soldiers for sacrificing their lives for the nation’s safety. “The entire nation, including me, is proud of its martyrs,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding such attacks would never succeed in demoralizing the nation and its forces.
In a statement, interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani also condemned the attack, describing it as reprehensible. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the martyred and injured. Pakistan stands resolute against terrorists,” he wrote on X.
Interim Balochistan Chief Minister Ali Mardan Khan Domki likewise described such terrorist acts as a conspiracy to sabotage peace in the province. He vowed that no one would be allowed to disturb “hard-earned” peace. In a statement on X, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari paid tribute to the martyred soldiers, vowing that the fight against militancy would continue until the “last terrorist is eliminated.”
In a report released last month, the Center for Research and Security Studies said security forces had lost at least 386 personnel in the first nine months of 2023, marking an eight-year high. In the third quarter of this year alone, it said, 445 people were killed and 440 others injured from 190 terror attacks and counter-terror operations.