Operation Zarb-e-Azb: Army chief vows to defeat terrorism

Says terrorists will not find space to hide in the country

ISLAMABAD: Army Chief General Raheel Sharif vowed on Friday to defeat terrorism, saying terrorists were on the run as a result of the ongoing military offensive, Zarb-e-Azb, in North  Waziristan Agency (NWA).

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), General Raheel appreciated the ‘valour’ of security forces, who successfully foiled a terrorist bid to attack Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Army Aviation Base in Quetta late Thursday night.

“After operation Zarb-e-Azb, terrorists are on the run and making desperate attempts to cause damage to Pakistan,” the army chief was quoted as saying by the military’s media wing.



General Raheel said their attempts would not bear fruit and they would not find space in the country to hide.

“With the backing of the entire nation, we will eliminate the scourge of terrorism from our soil forever,” he added.

He also said that security forces should continue to remain vigilant and respond promptly as they had done in Quetta to defeat nefarious designs of the terrorists.

Terrorists tried to attack Pakistan Air Force’s Samungli base and the adjacent Quetta airport late Thursday night. They fired 10 rockets, which could not reach either the base or the airport, and the firefight continued till late at night.

An ISPR spokesman, divulging details about last night’s attack on PAF Base Samungli and Khalid Army Aviation Base Quetta, said terrorists’ attempts to enter both bases were successfully foiled by a prompt action by an integrated security force of Army, PAF, FC and police at both bases.

As a result of the encounter 11 terrorists were killed while 3 others were apprehended, the spokesman said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th,2014.