ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistan Army officers killed in a militant attack in northwestern Pakistan a day earlier were laid to rest on Saturday night, the army’s media wing said on Sunday, with senior civil and military officials attending the funeral prayers for the deceased in the eastern city of Rawalpindi.
The two army officers, out of a total of seven soldiers, were killed when a group of militants attacked a security forces’ post in the Mir Ali area of the restive North Waziristan district on Saturday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had said.
The militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the post that led to the collapse of a part of the security post building, killing the soldiers. Pakistani troops effectively engaged the attackers and killed all of them in an ensuing clearance operation, the army’s media wing said.
Funeral prayers of Lt. Col. Syed Kashif Ali, 39, and Captain Muhammad Ahmed Badar, 23, were offered at Chaklala Garrison in Rawalpindi.
This handout photo, released by Pakistan’s Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), shows two Pakistan Army officers, Lt. Col. Syed Kashif Ali (right), 39, and Captain Muhammad Ahmed Badar (left), 23, who were killed during a militant attack in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on March 16, 2024. (Photo courtesy: ISPR)
“Honorable President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, Foreign Minister, Interior Minister, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chief of Army Staff, senior serving military and civil officers, relatives of the Shuhada [martyred] and locals of the area attended the funeral,” the ISPR said.
The ISPR said Pakistan Army has consistently upheld the ideals of unity, faith and discipline.
“This noble sacrifice stands as another glorious testament to the unflinching resolve of our gallant sons, who have never hesitated to offer the ultimate sacrifice for the defense of our motherland,” the army said.
President Zardari said the entire nation stands in solidarity with Pakistan’s armed forces.
The bodies of the soldiers killed have been taken to their native towns where they will be laid to rest with full military honor, the army’s media wing said.
Pakistan’s northwestern and southwestern regions that border Afghanistan have witnessed a surge in militancy in recent years, particularly after the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a conglomerate of armed factions, called off a fragile ceasefire with the government in November 2022.
Last week, Pakistani forces killed 10 militants and injured three more in two separate operations in North Waziristan.
Pakistan says militants who have sanctuaries in Afghanistan have been involved in attacks inside its territory. Kabul denies the use of its land by any militant group.
