Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir said on Tuesday that the armed forces remained resolute in defeating terrorism and ensuring lasting peace and stability, according to the military’s media wing.
Field Marshal Munir made the statement while visiting Peshawar Corps Headquarters, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. He was received by the Peshawar Corps commander.
During the visit, Field Marshal Munir was briefed on the “security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ongoing counter-terrorism operations, border management measures and operational preparedness of formations deployed in the province”.
The CDF lauded the “high morale, readiness and professionalism” of the security personnel. He acknowledged their “steadfast commitment to safeguarding the country and its people”.
According to ISPR, the CDF directed troops to remain vigilant and maintain the “highest standards” of operational preparedness.
“The armed forces, with the unwavering support of the nation, remain resolute in their determination to defeat terrorism and ensure lasting peace and stability across the country,” ISPR quoted him as saying.
During the visit, CDF Munir also laid a floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada and offered Fateha.
He paid tribute to martyrs, stressing that their “supreme sacrifices would never be forgotten”.
The visit comes days after a major attack in the old Police Lines in KP’s Kohat, which claimed 23 lives and injured about 100 others.
Eight terrorists were killed during an overnight clearance operation launched to clear the area.
In retaliation, on Monday, the armed forces conducted airstrikes on terrorist sites “in the border region with Afghanistan”, killing more than 28 terrorists, the information ministry said.
In Monday’s statement, the ministry stressed that the “calibrated” strikes were carried out “against the hideouts and safe havens of terrorist organisations responsible” for the recent multiple terrorist incidents in KP.
Security forces also conducted a “well-planned intelligence-based ground operation” on Sunday against a group of terrorists in KP’s Kohat and Hangu districts, the statement said.
The operation was carried out under the counter-terrorism campaign Ghazab lil Haq, which was launched in February, following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border.
The actions also came after two officers and four others were martyred during a fire exchange between a security forces convoy and armed combatants, according to the military’s media wing. Eight terrorists were eliminated in the exchange. Last month, a captain was martyred while seven terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Hangu.
There has been a resurgence in terrorism in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP, that are used for attacks in Pakistan. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded.
