RAWALPINDI – At least 12 terrorists were killed while 15 security personnel and a government official embraced martyrdom after a terrorist attack on a joint police check post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district, the military’s media wing said on Friday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the attack took place on the night of July 23-24, when terrorists belonging to what it described as the “Indian-sponsored Fitna Al Khwarij” targeted a joint police check post in Tank district.

The ISPR said the attackers attempted to breach the security of the check post, but their attempt was thwarted by the swift and determined response of security forces. Troops pursued the fleeing militants and killed 12 terrorists during the ensuing operation.

In a final act of desperation, the attackers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the check post, causing a massive blast that severely damaged the facility.

The military said the explosion resulted in the martyrdom of 15 personnel, including 12 soldiers, two policemen and one government official from the Forest Department.

The ISPR added that a sanitisation operation is underway to clear the area of any remaining militants.

It said Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue their counterterrorism campaign under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” strategy, approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan, to eliminate what it termed foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.

“The sacrifices of our brave soldiers further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs,” the ISPR said.