Suspected Islamist militants armed with weapons, hand grenades and rockets attacked a army base in southern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing no less than 4 troopers, the military and safety officers mentioned.
One other 5 troopers have been critically wounded, the military mentioned in an announcement. At the least three militants have been killed in retaliatory hearth, and an operation was underway to apprehend two different attackers, it mentioned.
A number of militants stormed the army base in Northern Balochistan’s Zhob district within the early hours, the military mentioned.
Three safety officers mentioned the militants fought a gun battle for a number of hours after hurling hand grenades inside a army mess.
“Preliminary try of terrorists to sneak into the ability was checked by troopers on obligation,” the military mentioned, and added that “in ensuing heavy alternate of fireplace, the terrorists have been contained right into a small space on the boundary.”
A newly based Islamist group referred to as Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) claimed duty, saying in an announcement it could launch the images and movies of their fighters who took half within the assault.
The mineral wealthy southern province that borders Afghanistan and Iran has confronted a a long time outdated ethnic separatist insurgency.
Islamist militants, who purpose to overthrow the federal government and set up their very own model of strict Islamic regulation within the predominantly Muslim nation of 220 million, have additionally been lively within the province.
They’ve stepped up assaults since revoking a ceasefire settlement with the federal government in late 2022, together with the boimbing of a mosque within the northwestern metropolis of Peshawar that killed greater than 100 individuals in January.
Islamabad says militants have rebased their operations to Afghanistan, which Kabul denies.