https://arab.news/89zza
- Lt. Col. Muhammad Ali Shoukat and other soldiers were killed in an encounter with militants in North Waziristan
- Pakistan blames a recent surge in militancy on groups operating from Afghanistan, Kabul denies the allegation
ISLAMABAD: A senior army officer among six Pakistani soldiers, who were killed in a gunfight with militants in Pakistan’s restive northwest last week, were laid to rest in their native towns with full military honors, the Pakistani military said on Monday.
Lt. Col. Muhammad Ali Shoukat and five other soldiers were killed in an encounter with militants in the North Waziristan district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
The gunfight late Friday night also left six militants dead in the restive district that borders Afghanistan.
“A large number of serving senior military officers, military personnel, families of martyrs and local elders attended the funeral prayers,” the ISPR said in a statement. “These sacrifices of our martyrs strengthen our determination and courage in the ongoing war against terrorism.”
Pakistan has seen a rise in militant attacks in recent months and says militants mainly associated with the Pakistani Taliban frequently launch attacks from hideouts in neighboring Afghanistan, targeting police and other security forces.
Islamabad has even blamed Kabul’s Afghan Taliban rulers for facilitating anti-Pakistan militant groups. Kabul denies the charges.