Sixteen soldiers died and eight others were injured as terrorists attacked a security check post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of northwest Pakistan early on Saturday, security sources said.
The terrorists attacked Lita Sar check post in Makeen, South Waziristan district bordering Afghanistan, sources added.
This is one of the biggest attacks on the security forces in months.
The attack comes days after Pakistani security forces killed two terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in the Sararogha area of the same district. Law enforcement personnel acted on the reported presence of militants and killed two terrorists while two militants were apprehended in the operation in December first week.
South Waziristan is one of the seven semi-autonomous tribal areas, where the army has for more than a decade been battling militants.
25 sentenced for riots
Pakistan’s military courts sentenced 25 civilians to prison terms ranging from two to 10 years for attacking military installations during riots which erupted following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in May last year, the army announced on Saturday.
On May 9, 2023, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters allegedly attacked several military installations, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the ISI building in Faisalabad, to vent their anger against the arrest of their party founder in a corruption case.
Hundreds of suspects were arrested in the countrywide swoop and at least 103 were handed over to the military authorities for trial due to their involvement in attacks on military installations.
In a detailed statement, the military said that the nation on May 9 witnessed tragic incidents of “politically provoked violence and arson at multiple places, marking a dark chapter in the history of Pakistan” when building on a sustained narrative of hate and lies, politically orchestrated attacks were carried out on the Army installations and monuments of Shuhada (martyrs).
“These blatant acts of violence not only shocked the nation but also underscored the necessity of checking this unacceptable attempt of political terrorism to impose own perverted will through violence and coercion,” it stated.
According to the statement, Field General Court Martial sentenced 25 individuals in the first phase, following a thorough review of evidence and the completion of proper legal procedures. It said that the convicts were awarded prison terms ranging from two to 10 years for attacking the military facilities. Fourteen individuals received 10-year sentences of rigorous imprisonment, while the others were given shorter terms.
PTI
