Quetta: In a major hit at the Pakistani military, 5 armed men today killed 9 soldiers and injured 15 others as they stormed a heavily-guarded Army Cantonment in Zhob area of occupied-Balochistan and controlled the premises for hours.
The assault at the Zhob Garrison in Northern Balochistan started at around 6 AM local time, with the attackers firing indiscriminately and gaining entry into the premises while killing 4 soldiers in the initial burst at the entrance, according to reports.
Heavy exchange of shook the place for several hours, resulting in the death of 5 more soldiers and injuries to 15.
The death toll on the side of Pakistani military thus was 9.
At night, the Pakistani military came out with a claim that all the 5 attackers had been killed.
“Clearance operation underway at Zhob Cantt has been completed,” military spokesperson Inter-Services Press Relations (ISPR) said a little while back.
The responsibility for the attack was owned by Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), which was described as a “brotherly Jihadi organisation” by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“Today,.. the brotherly Jihadi organisation Tehreek-e-Jihad Paksitan carried out a successful martrydom operation on the military Cantt of Zhob, with the sacrifice of 5 martyrs. The responsibility of the same has been accepted by the said brotherly Jihadi organisation,” TTP spokesman Muhammad Khurasani said in a statement this evening.
He said the TTP’s Governor of DI Khan Province Asad Afridi had earlier claimed of TTP in the action on his Twitter account, which was wrong.
“Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has no connection whatsoever with the Zhob operation,” Khurasani said.
“Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan convened a leadership council meeting on an emergency basis,” Khurasani said.
The meeting decided to remove Asad Afridi from his post “for misrepresenting the activities of brotherly Jihadi organisation” and named Assistant Governor of DI Khan Province Abu Yasir as his successor.
Significantly, TJP spokesman Mullah Qasim has praised TTP for its statement regarding the Zhob attack.
