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The funeral prayers of two army officers, who were among seven martyred<\/a> yesterday in a terrorist attack on a security forces\u2019 post in North Waziristan, were offered on Sunday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.<\/p>\n At 6:15am on Saturday, a group of six militants stormed<\/a> the Frontier Corps\u2019 post in the Khaddi market area in North Waziristan\u2019s Mir Ali area. The militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the gate, followed by multiple blasts, including a suicide bombing, said local officials.<\/p>\n Seven soldiers \u2014 including Lieutenant Colonel Syed Kashif Ali Shaheed, 39, resident of Karachi and Captain Muhammad Ahmed Badar Shaheed, 23, resident of Talagang \u2014 were martyred in the attack. Six terrorists were also neutralised in the subsequent clearance operation.<\/p>\n A group affiliated with Hafiz Gul Bahadur, previously a government contractor and a good Taliban-turned-militant leader, claimed responsibility<\/a> for the attack. Bahadur\u2019s outfit is the strongest militant group in North Waziristan. He was flushed out in Operation Zarb-i-Azb in 2014 and fled to Afghanistan.<\/p>\n In the early hours of Sunday, the funeral prayers of the two officers were offered at Chaklala Garrison Rawalpindi, according to the military\u2019s media wing.<\/p>\n President Asif Ali Zardari, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir attended the prayers, along with other senior serving military and civil officers, relatives of the martyred officials, and locals of the area.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Pakistan Army has consistently upheld the ideals of faith, unity and discipline. Guided by these enduring principles, the Pakistan Army has always endeavoured to set higher benchmarks of professionalism and loyalty in its unrelenting fight against terrorism,\u201d the ISPR statement quoted President Zardari as saying.<\/p>\n \u201cThis noble sacrifice stands as another glorious testament to the unflinching resolve of our gallant sons, who have never hesitated to offer the ultimate sacrifice for the defence of our motherland. The whole nation stands in solidarity with our armed forces\u2019\u2019, the president said.<\/p>\n President Zardari further said<\/a>, \u201cPakistan has decided that whoever will enter our borders, homes or country and commit terror, we will respond to them strongly, regardless of who it is or from which country.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe bodies of the martyred have been taken to their native home towns where they will be laid to rest with full military honour,\u201d the ISPR stated.<\/p>\n Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in 2023 year, especially in KP and Balochistan after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire<\/a> with the government in November 2022.<\/p>\n The ISPR said earlier this month 10 militants were killed in two separate operations<\/a> by security forces in the North Waziristan district. It added that Pakistan expected the Afghan government to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by terrorists.<\/p>\n Last month, a late-night attack on a police station in Dera Ismail Khan was repulsed<\/a>. Gunmen had mounted an attack using heavy weapons but fled in the cover of darkness when police personnel fired back.<\/p>\nResurgent terrorism<\/h2>\n