Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday confirmed that at least “three people were martyred” during the ongoing operation at Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan.
“Terrorists tried to take people hostage inside the cadet college but did not succeed,” he said, adding that attackers were in contact with their handlers in Afghanistan.
The peace talks between the Afghan Taliban regime and Pakistan broke down, although a ceasefire continues between the two neighbours.
On last Friday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan had been suspended, with “no programme for the fourth round of talks”.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement today, urged Kabul to rein in militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating from Afghan soil, framing it as the prerequisite for durable peace in the region.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference on Tuesday, he said a stable Afghanistan is essential for connectivity, growth and prosperity.
“Afghanistan must realise that lasting peace can only be realised by reining in TTP and other terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory,” he said.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had said yesterday that Indian-backed terrorists attacked Cadet College Wana, with security forces eliminating two attackers and trapping three inside.
Meanwhile, security forces in a statement earlier today said that an operation was underway against terrorists, belonging to an Indian proxy, Fitna al-Khwarij, who took shelter inside Wana Cadet College.
They said that the terrorists had targeted the college with a vehicle-borne explosive device, which struck the main gate and damaged nearby buildings. Two militants were killed during an immediate response by the security forces.
“The militants were receiving instructions from Afghanistan and are hiding in a building located far from cadet residences,” said security sources.
The sources said that at the time of the attack, approximately 650 individuals, including 525 cadets, were inside the college.
So far, security forces have safely rescued 115 people. The remaining cadets are being gradually evacuated, with around 535 still inside, sources said.
“Security forces have assured parents that all students are safe and the operation will be completed soon,” sources added.
The military’s media wing in the statement yesterday noted that the Khwarij, belonging to an Indian proxy, Fitna al-Khwarij, launched a “heinous and cowardly terrorist act” and attempted to breach the perimeter security.
However, their nefarious designs were swiftly foiled by the vigilant and resolute response “by own troops” and in their “desperation, the attackers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle on the main gate, resulting in its collapse and damage to adjacent infrastructure”.
Displaying unwavering courage and professional excellence, security personnel engaged the intruders with precision, eliminating two terrorists.
However, three terrorists managed to enter the college premises, who have been cornered in the college’s administrative block, the military’s media wing said.
The ISPR said that the khwarij have once again tried to repeat the barbaric act of terrorism carried out by them in Army Public School, Peshawar, in 2014.
Aimed at instilling fear amongst the young generation of erstwhile tribal areas who are acquiring quality education at their doorstep to excel in life and achieve a better future for not only themselves and their families but also for their communities.
“This blatant act of barbarism orchestrated by Khwarij from Afghanistan is in contrast to assertions made by the Afghan Taliban regime claiming non-presence of these terrorist groups on their soil. Pakistan reserves the right to respond against terrorists and their leadership present in Afghanistan,” the military said.
