Eleven military personnel, including a Lieutenant Colonel and a major, were martyred during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Orakzai district while 19 Indian-sponsored terrorists were killed, the military’s media affairs wing said on Wednesday.
A statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, security forces conducted an IBO in Orakzai district on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to Indian proxy terrorists.
“During the conduct of operation, 19 Indian-sponsored terrorists were killed 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 terrorists 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”.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif 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 PPP said party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had also expressed grief over the martyrdom of the 11 security personnel and paid tributes to them.
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz also appreciated security forces for killing terrorists in Orakzai. She paid tribute to Lt. Col. Junaid, Major Tayeb and nine soldiers who lost their lives while fighting terrorists.