Eleven Pakistani soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major, were killed in a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday.
According to a report in Dawn, the military’s media wing stated on Wednesday that during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Orakzai district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 11 personnel, including 39-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Arif and 33-year-old Major Tayyab Rahat, were martyred.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that security forces conducted the operation in Orakzai district following reports of the alleged presence of militants linked to Indian operative Fitna Al Khwariz. During the ensuing gunfire, Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Arif, Major Tayyab Rahat, and nine other personnel were killed.
The soldiers who lost their lives have been identified as Naib Subedar Azam Gul (38), Naik Adil Hussain (35), Naik Gul Ameer (34), Lance Naik Sher Khan (31), Lance Naik Talish Faraz (32), Lance Naik Irshad Hussain (32), Sepoy Tufail Khan (28), Sepoy Aqib Ali (23), and Sepoy Muhammad Zahid (24).
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the country’s security forces, who killed 19 terrorists, and expressed grief over the martyrdom of Lieutenant Colonel Arif, Major Rahat, and other personnel. He emphasized that the sacrifice of the nation’s security forces will never go in vain and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eliminating the threat of terrorism from the country, including actions against India-supported terrorist elements seeking to harm Pakistan’s integrity.
In a statement, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) president Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also expressed grief over the martyrdom of the 11 security personnel and paid tribute to them. He extended condolences to the families of the martyrs and expressed solidarity with them, while reaffirming unwavering support for security forces during ongoing counter-terrorism operations and praying for the promotion of the martyrs’ ranks.
