Pak army soldier killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa attack

Peshawar [Pakistan], October 3 (ANI): A Pakistani army soldier was killed after "terrorists" opened fire on troops from inside Afghanistan at Kharlachi border crossing, in Kurram tribal district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the country's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday.
According to the ISPR handout, the incident took place on Thursday, at the Kharlachi border crossing, around 15 km southwest of Parachinar, reported the Dawn.
"Pakistani troops responded in a befitting manner and inflicted heavy casualties on terrorists," ISPR said, adding that 27-year-soldier Jamshed Iqbal from Chiniot was killed during the exchange of fire.
The ISPR in its statement condemned the use of Afghan soil for terror activities, adding that Pakistan expects the interim Afghan government to not allow their land for such attacks in future, reported the Dawn.
"Pakistan Army is determined to defend Pakistan's borders against the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve," ISPR added.
The attack was second in line with the attacks on the security forces in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
In September, three Pakistan Army soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire with terrorists across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Kurram district.
As per ISPR, the terrorists inside Afghanistan opened fire on Pakistani troops in the general area of Kharlachi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, reported the Dawn.
Clashes between security forces and suspected terrorists in the North Waziristan tribal district have become quite frequent in recent months. In recent months, several cases of open firings and bomb attacks have been reported in Pakistan. These increased terror activities in Pakistan border areas, especially in the North Waziristan district have been costing the lives of several Pakistani soldiers.
On September 20, a Pakistani soldier was killed after the terrorists from inside Afghanistan opened fire on the army troops Dwatoi area of the North Waziristan district, the ISPR had said.
Earlier, on September 6, five Pakistani soldiers were killed in the Boyya area of North Waziristan in an intense fire exchange during the conduct of the Intelligence Based Operation (IBO).
According to Pakistan media, a total of 105 army personnel died in such terrorist attacks within the first three months of this year.
Reportedly, these militants have their bases in Afghanistan. They enter Pakistan from Afghanistan and after launching attacks on the former, retreat to their bases in Afghanistan.
Further, terrorist organizations like the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have also been working from the Afghan bases, planning attacks against Pakistan.
The porous border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been a stronghold for the Pakistani Taliban, a banned terrorist group in Pakistan, for decades. The group has carried out various terrorist attacks in Pakistan and the officials in the country have claimed that the members of the group found shelter in neighbouring Afghanistan. (ANI)