Eleven military personnel, including a lieutenant colonel and a major, were martyred during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Orakzai district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Wednesday.
A statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that last night, security forces conducted an IBO in Orakzai district on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna Al Khawarij.
Fitna Al Khawarij is the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“During the conduct of operation, 19 Indian-sponsored khwarij were sent to hell due to effective engagement by own troops,” the ISPR said.
It added that during the exchange of fire, 39-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Tariq, who was leading his troops from the front, and his second-in-command, 33-year-old Major Tayyab Rahat, embraced martyrdom along with nine of their men.
The soldiers were identified as 38-year-old Naib Subedar Azam Gul, 35-year-old Naik Adil Hussain, 34-year-old Naik Gul Ameer, 31-year-old Lance Naik Sher Khan, 32-year-old Lance Naik Talish Faraz, 32-year-old Lance Naik Irshad Hussain, 28-year-old Sepoy Tufail Khan, 23-year-old Sepoy Aqib Ali and 24-year-old Sepoy Muhammad Zahid.
The ISPR said that a sanitisation operation was being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji found in the area. It further stated that security forces were “determined to wipe out the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resolve”.
Funeral prayers were offered for the two officers in Rawalpindi’s Chaklala district, which were attended by Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, federal ministers and military and civic officials, the ISPR said in a later statement.
“The prime minister, while paying tribute to the 11 shuhadas (martyrs) of [the] Orakzai incident, resolved that [the] Pakistani nation stands resolute and firm against this menace of terrorism and the shuhadas’ ultimate sacrifice is a reminder of the unwavering resolve of the nation to defend the motherland at all costs,” the statement read, adding that the remaining nine martyrs would be laid to rest in their native towns with full military honours.
PM Shehbaz paid tributes to the country’s security forces for killing 19 terrorists and also expressed grief over the martyrdom of the soldiers, including Lieutenant Colonel Arif and Major Rahat, according to a statement issued by the prime minister’s office.
“The sacrifices of the fearless sons of security forces will never go in vain,” he said.
“We will crush the nefarious intentions of Indian-backed terrorists. We will not allow elements that harm Pakistan’s integrity to succeed,” he added. PM Shehbaz said the government was determined to eradicate the menace of terrorism from the country.
A statement issued by the presidency said President Asif Ali Zardari had paid tributes to the “courageous action of security forces in the Orakzai district”.
It added, “[The] president expressed satisfaction over the elimination of 19 terrorists of the Indian-backed khwarij. The President declared Lt. Col. Junaid Tariq shaheed, Major Tayyab Rahat and other martyrs as heroes of the nation,” the statement read.
It added that Zardari expressed heartfelt sympathy with the families of the martyrs, praying that they bear their loss with patience and courage.
The president said that the brave sons set an eternal example by sacrificing their lives while defending their country. “The sacrifices of the martyrs are a symbol of the nation’s resolve and unity.”
He reiterated the “resolve to completely eliminate Indian-backed terrorism from the soil of Pakistan”.
“The entire nation stands as a lead wall with its armed forces,” the statement quoted him as saying.
A statement issued by the PPP said party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had also expressed grief over the martyrdom of the 11 security personnel and paid them tributes.
The statement posted on the PPP’s X account said Bilawal extended condolences to the families of the martyred and expressed solidarity with them.
“Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the martyrs,” the statement said, adding that he reaffirmed his “unwavering support for the security forces during the ongoing operation for the elimination of terrorists”.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, expressing grief over the martyrdom of the security personnel and paying tributes to them, reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to eliminate the threat of terrorism, state-run APP reported.
“The sacrifices of our armed forces and security personnel in the war against terrorism will never go in vain. Terrorist […] will never succeed in fulfilling their nefarious designs,” the APP quoted him as saying.
Meanwhile, Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam said in a statement that he was “extremely dejected” to learn of the martyrdom of the personnel.
“In this moment of profound grief, I extend my heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the government, armed forces and the people of Pakistan, particularly to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones,” the statement read. “May Allah Almighty grant eternal peace to the souls of the departed and bestow strength and patience upon their families.”
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks, especially in KP and Balochistan, predominantly targeting the police, law enforcement agencies’ personnel, and security forces. Attacks increased after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke a ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022.
Two reports, issued last week by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies and the Centre for Research and Security Studies, about militant violence in the country over the past month, stated that the first three quarters of 2025 saw nearly as much violence as witnessed in all of 2024.
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