NORTH WAZIRISTAN: Pakistan issued a demarehe to the Taliban regime over its failure to rein in terrorist organisations operating from Afghan soil, after a deadly attack on a military camp in North Waziristan on Friday.

Four security personnel were martyred when an attempt by terrorists to attack a security camp was foiled in the Boya area, the military`s media wing said.

`In a heinous and cowardly act, the terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Khwarij [the term the state usesforterrorists belonging to the banned TTP] attacked security forces camp in Boya, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

It added that the terrorists `attempted to breach the perimeter security; however, their nefarious designs were swiftly foiled by the vigilant and resolute response by own troops`.

The terrorists then rammed an explosives-laden vehicle `on [the] outer perimeter wall, resulting in its collapse and considerable damage to adjacent civilian infrastructure, including a mosque`, the ISPR said.

It stated that the car bomb attack cause damage to nearby homes and other structures and inflicted `severe injuries to 15 local civilians, including innocent children and women`.

In an earlier report, police and hospital sources reported that 11 civilians were injured as a result of the blast, and they were taken to the district headquarters hospital in Miranshah.

`However, during the intense fire exchanges, four brave sons of soil Havildar Muhammad Waqas, 42, a resident of Kotli district; Naik Khanwaiz, 38, a resident of Mansehra district); Sepoy Sufyan Haider, 25, a resident of Vehari district; and Sepoy Riffat, 32, a resident of Leyyah district having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced Shahadat,` said the ISPR, giving details of the martyred personnel.

The military further said that the `hideous` act of terrorism was planned and orchestrated by Afghanistan-based terrorists and `is in contrast to assertions made by the Afghan Taliban regime, claiming non-presence of theseterrorist groups operating from their soil`. In a subsequent statement, the Foreign Office said that Pakistan condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms and identified the attackers as members of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, a group under the TTP umbrella.

`To convey our strong demarche, the Afghan Deputy Head of Mission was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,` the statement read.

`The ministry conveyed Pakistan`s grave concern over the continued support and facilitation provided by the Afghan Taliban regime to the FAK/T TP, enabling them to carry out terrorist attacks against [the] Pakistan Military and the civilian population along the Pak-Afghan border and in adjoining areas,` it added.

`Pakistan has demanded a full investigation and decisive action against the perpetrators and facilitators of the terrorist attacks launched against Pakistan from Afghan soil,` the statement said.

The FO warned the Afghan Taliban that Pakistan `reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and protect its citizens, and will take all necessary measures to respond to terrorism originating from Afghan soil`.