At least four soldiers martyred as militants attack Zhob Garrison

Four security personnel were martyred by terrorists on Wednesday in an early morning attack on the Zhob Garrison in Norther Balochistan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported. The military's media wing further stated that five soldiers were critically injured. "Initial attempt of terrorists to sneak into the facility was checked by soldiers on duty," the ISPR said, adding that the terrorists were soon after cornered in a small area near the boundary following a heavy exchange of fire. "Three heavily armed terrorists have been killed so far," the military said. "A clearance operation by Security Forces is underway to apprehend remaining two terrorists as well," added the ISPR. The military maintained that the country's security forces remained "determined to thwart all such ghastly attempts at destroying peace of Balochistan and Pakistan". During the second quarter of 2023, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan were reported to be the primary centres of terror attacks, accounting for more than 80% of all fatalities in the country. According to a report issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) a day earlier, Islamabad Capital Territory, Punjab, and Sindh experienced relatively fewer incidents of violence in comparison to K-P and Balochistan. Read Female bomber targets cops in Turbat The overall number of fatalities decreased by 21%, from 358 in Q1 to 284 in Q2, 2023, marking a significant decrease in violence. Balochistan was the only province to witness a surge in violence (fatalities), by 14%. In the latest terrorist attacks to take place in Balochistan, six security personnel were martyred in two separate attacks on the same day earlier this month. The attacks were reported by the ISPR and Levies sources. Two military men, Major Saqib Hussain and Naik Baqir Ali embraced Shahadat, when terrorists ambushed their patrol in the Hoshab area, the ISPR said, hours after three levies personnel and a Frontier Corps (FC) official were martyred in the Sherani district. The ISPR said that the combat patrol of security forces was initiated in general area Balor on “credible intelligence” about a group of terrorists linked to firing at security forces and civilians, besides planting of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the Hoshab area. “While establishment of blocking positions to cut the escape routes was under way, a party of terrorists tried to ambush, closing in [on the] patrol and opened fire at the security forces,” the media wing of the military said in a statement.