At least five Pakistani soldiers were killed after a security vehicle was blown up by an improvised explosive device (IED).

Balochistan: In a sad event on Saturday evening, five Pakistani soldiers were killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast. The incident happened in the Balochistan province of Pakistan, where there have been several incidents of attacks on Pakistani army soldiers that are regularly recorded. The blast occurred when the military vehicle was passing through the area on Saturday, as per a report by news agency IANS.

IED Explosion And Fire Exchange Recorded

The IED explosion was followed by an intense exchange of fire between security personnel and the terrorists, said the Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Ali Mardan Domki and Home Minister Mir Zubair Ahmed Jamali strongly condemned the incident Four militants were killed in two intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan and Dera Ismail Khan districts.

A clearance operation has been carried out to eliminate the presence of terrorists in the area, the statement said. It was reported that the attack prompted security forces to open retaliatory fire, resulting in the deaths of three terrorists in the Buleda area of Balochistan’s Kech district.

The soldiers killed during the attack were identified as Sepoy Tipu Razzaq (23, resident of district Sahiwal), Sepoy Sunny Shaukat (24, resident of district Karachi), Sepoy Shafi Ullah (23, resident of district Lasbela), Lance Naik Tariq Ali (25, resident of district Orakzai) and Sepoy Muhammad Tariq Khan (25, resident of district Mianwali), ARY News reported. Moreover, the sanitization operation is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists present in the area.

“Security forces of Pakistan, in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts of sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan, and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” ISPR said in a statement.

The attack was the latest such incident amid a surge in terrorist activities across the country, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the outlawed militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

India Lodges Protest Over UK Envoy’s Visit To PoK

The Ministry of External Affairs raised strong objections on Saturday to the visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Jane Marriott, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, had visited Mirpur on January 10 along with a UK Foreign Office official.

“Such infringement of India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable,” a statement released by the ministry said.

“The foreign secretary has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this infringement,” the statement added.

“The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India,” it further stated.

(With inputs from agencies)