RAWALPINDI: The deadly blast in Peshawar, which killed at least 100 people and injured more than 200, will not shake the resolve of the nation to root out terrorism, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir has said.

The army chief’s statement came on Tuesday as he chaired the 255th Corps Commanders’ Conference (CCC) at the General Headquarters (GHQ) a day after the suicide blast in Peshawar’s strictly-guarded Police Lines area.

The attack was the deadliest in a decade to hit the restive city near the Afghan border and comes amid a surge in violence against law enforcement agencies. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the colossal blast.

“Such immoral and cowardly acts cannot shake [the] resolve of the nation [but] rather reinvigorate our determination to succeed in [the] ongoing war against terror with zero tolerance for any terrorist entity,” he said.

The conference, presided over by the army chief, was briefed in detail about the ongoing intelligence-based operations being undertaken by the army law enforcement agencies (LEAs) for breaking the nexus between terrorists and their support mechanism across the country.

The top army brass also paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the Peshawar Police Lines blast and vowed that perpetrators will be brought to “exemplary justice”.

While addressing the meeting, the COAS directed all the commanders to continue to focus on anti-terrorism operations in coordination with intelligence and LEAs with “renewed resolve till the time we achieve sustainable peace”. 

More to follow…