Azerbaijan’s defence chief offers condolences to Pakistan Over six soldier deaths

Azerbaijan’s Defence Minister Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has expressed condolences to Pakistan over the deaths of six servicemen in a firefight with terrorists.

In a message to Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, commander of the Pakistan Army and chief of defence forces, Hasanov said he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths in the Hangu area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in north-western Pakistan, Caliber.Az reports per Defence Ministry.

He extended his condolences to the families and relatives of those killed, adding: “May Allah have mercy on their souls.”

At least six Pakistani soldiers, including two officers, have been killed in a gun battle with militants in Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the Afghan border.

At least eight militants were also killed in the attack on a security forces convoy, according to the military’s media wing, ISPR.

The incident came a day after 22 people were killed in coordinated attacks in the province, highlighting a recent surge in violence near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan.

Islamabad accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers of allowing militants to operate from Afghan territory, while Kabul denies the allegation.

By Aghakazim Guliyev