• ISPR says militants attacked security forces in Khuda Bux Bazar near Pasni.
• Says search operation in progress to apprehend perpetrators.
• The security forces are determined to neutralise such nefarious designs at all costs, says military.

RAWALPINDI: A Pakistan Army Captain and a sepoy embraced martyrdom in an IED attack in Balochistan, the military’s media wing said Thursday.

“Terrorists targeted Security Forces using an IED in Khuda Bux Bazar near Pasni. An officer Capt Affan Masood and Sepoy Babar Zaman embraced Shahadat,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

The ISPR said that a search operation is in progress to apprehend the perpetrators.

“Such cowardly acts by inimical elements, backed by hostile intelligence agencies (HIAs) cannot sabotage the hard-earned peace and prosperity in Balochistan,” it added.

The military said that the security forces are determined to neutralise such nefarious designs at all costs.

‘Balochistan’s peace and prosperity bedrock of progress’

Earlier this month, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa emphasised that Balochistan’s peace and prosperity was the bedrock of Pakistan’s progress.

According to a statement released by the ISPR, the COAS passed the remarks while addressing the seventh National Workshop Balochistan at GHQ in Rawalpindi.

“Balochistan’s peace and prosperity is the bedrock of Pakistan’s progress. It is time to reap dividends of hard-earned peace and expedite socio-economic development adopting people centric approach for attaining enduring stability,” the army chief had said.

However, Gen Bajwa had warned that the security forces will “remain steadfast and determined” to defeat enemies of peace and prosperity of Balochistan and Pakistan.

The military’s media wing had said that the army chief during his talk highlighted the “internal and external challenges”. He had advised the participants that the full spectrum threat required a “comprehensive national response”.

“Balochistan is in sharp focus of national leadership and army is fully engaged in enabling national and provincial response in synergy with other institutions of the state. We are a resilient nation that has endured the tests of time on its path to achieving peace and stability,” Gen Bajwa had stated.