At least eight soldiers of the Pakistan Army and 10 terrorists were killed when a group of militants attacked a major military cantonment in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the army said on Tuesday.

All 10 terrorists who launched the daring attack were also eliminated after they attempted to enter the Bannu Cantonment on Monday, with security forces effectively thwarting the move, the statement said.

The terrorists’ failed attempt forced them to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the cantonment, leading to the collapse of a portion of the wall and damaging the adjoining infrastructure.

Eight soldiers were killed in the operation and all the terrorists were “sent to hell”, the statement added.

“This timely and effective response by the security forces prevented major catastrophe, saving precious innocent lives,” the statement said, adding that the heinous act was undertaken by the 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.

Pakistan has consistently raised its concerns with the interim Afghan government, asking them to deny persistent use of Afghan soil by the terrorists and take effective action against such elements, the statement said, adding that the Pakistani side will take all necessary measures as deemed appropriate against these threats emanating from Afghanistan.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the attack and said the sacrifices of the Pakistan Army in the war against terror would not go to waste.

“Security forces’ timely action saved Bannu Cantonment from a big catastrophe,” he said.

Pakistan has witnessed an increase in terrorist activities over the past year, particularly in regions like Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan following the cessation of a ceasefire between the government and the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group in November 2022.

Last week, Islamabad reiterated its stance against engaging in talks with the TTP and called for Kabul’s action against terrorists operating from Afghan territory.

According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies’ annual security report, violence and casualties in Pakistan saw a notable decline in the second quarter of 2024.