- Student Arif Allah performs prayers when the attack occurs: ISPR.
- He added, “Such an act of attacking worshipers reflects the true ideology of terrorists.”
- President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz condemn the attack on the mosque.
RAWALPINDI: A 19-year-old student was martyred when an armed terrorist opened fire on a mosque in Lakki Marwat area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday.
The army’s media wing said in a statement that the student, Arif Allah, was performing prayers in the mosque when the attack occurred.
The statement said: “As soon as the Kharijites started shooting, he responded immediately and fought the Kharijites with all courage.”
“However, during the incident, respected student Arifullah was martyred, sacrificing his life, while saving many lives of innocent worshippers.”
The army’s media wing added that the trainee was undergoing training at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakol but returned to his hometown in Lakki Marwat on leave.
ISPR noted that such a heinous and cowardly act of attacking worshipers in the mosque during prayer reflects the true ideology of these terrorists.
The statement added, “The brave act carried out by a noble young man is a testimony to the spirit of sacrifice and dedication of members of the security forces to eliminate the threat of terrorism in the country, and such sacrifices increase our resolve.”
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack on the mosque and paid tribute to the martyred student.
The president said that Islam does not permit attacks on places of worship and mosques. He added, “Attacking places of worship was an extremely cowardly and un-Islamic act.”
In a separate statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz noted that student Arifullah set an example of courage and bravery by thwarting the cowardly attack on innocent worshippers.
He said the student, who was on leave, could not tolerate innocent citizens becoming victims of terrorism, adding that the spirit of patriotism and loyalty to the nation displayed by the Pakistan Army was unparalleled anywhere in the world.
Pakistan has seen a surge in armed attacks since the Taliban government returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021, mostly in the northwestern border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but also in southwestern Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran.
Islamabad accuses Kabul’s interim rulers of failing to eliminate militants who are taking shelter on Afghan soil while preparing to launch attacks on Pakistan.
Earlier today, it was reported that ten Border Police soldiers were martyred in a violent attack carried out by terrorists on a checkpoint in the Dera Ismail Khan area.
A Home Ministry spokesman said that terrorists equipped with heavy weapons targeted the Zam FC checkpoint in Darazinda area of Di Khan under the cover of darkness late on Thursday night.