At least 12 terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy group Fitna Al Khawarij were killed after their attack was repelled by security forces in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 11 security personnel embraced martyrdom in the terrorist attack.

The ISPR said that on February 16, a cowardly terrorist attack was attempted on security forces and law enforcement agencies’ joint checkpost in Bajaur district by Khwarij belonging to the Indian proxy, Fitna Al Khwarij.

The assailants sought to breach the checkpost security; however, their nefarious designs were swiftly and decisively foiled by the vigilant and resolute response of Pakistan’s security forces, the ISPR added.

Displaying unwavering courage and professional excellence, army troops engaged the fleeing Khwarij with precision, eliminating 12 of them.

In their desperation, the attackers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall.

Due to the blast impact, the infrastructure at the checkpost collapsed.

As a result, 11 brave sons of the soil rendered the ultimate sacrifice and embraced Shahadat, the statement added.

Tragically, civilian residential buildings in close proximity also suffered severe destruction as a result of the explosion, leading to the martyrdom of one innocent young girl and injuries to seven others, including women and children.

Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored kharji found in the area as a relentless counter terrorism campaign under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and law enforcement agencies will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country, the ISPR stated.

The sacrifices of our brave soldiers and innocent civilians further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs, it added.