At least six Pakistan Army soldiers, including a captain, were martyred, while seven terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the general area of Dogar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday.
According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was carried out on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to Fitna al Khawarij, a term designating members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
“During the conduct of [the] operation, seven Indian sponsored khwarij were sent to hell due to effective engagement by own troops,” the statement read.
However, Captain Noman Saleem (24, resident of Mianwali), Havildar Amjad Ali (39, resident of Swabi), Naik Waqas Ahmad (36, resident of Rawalpindi), Sepoy Aijaz Ali (23, resident of Shikarpur), Sepoy Muhammad Waleed (23, resident of Jhelum) and Sepoy Muhammad Shahbaz (32, resident of Khairpur) were all martyred in the gun battle.
Captain Noman was “a brave young medical officer who, besides performing the duties of medical care, also fought gallantly and embraced shahadat (martyrdom) along with his five men,” the statement read.
“[A] sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored kharji found in the area, as relentless counter terrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm e Istehkam’ (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” the statement concluded.
At least 13 people, including two police personnel, were injured in a hand grenade attack on a police mobile van in Balochistan’s Dera Murad Jamali.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ghulam Sarwar Bhayo, unidentified assailants on Wednesday hurled a hand grenade at a police vehicle that was on routine patrol near Shah Petrol Pump. The explosion left 13 people injured, including police constables, women, and children.
The injured were identified as police officials Shamsuddin and Abdul Rasheed Junejo, along with Gul Babo, Mahad, Syed Khan, Nazir Solangi, Ahmed, Barkat Abro, Muhammad Nawaz Bhangar, Muhammad Ishaq Mengal, and Imam Bakhsh.
Following the explosion, a heavy contingent of police rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area. The injured were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Police have launched an investigation into the attack, and a search operation is underway to trace those involved.
In a separate incident, armed men attacked the Jaffar Express in Nasirabad’s Altafabad area, firing four rockets at the passenger train. However, no casualties were reported.
Security officials said the attackers fled the scene after law enforcement personnel, including Frontier Corps and police, retaliated.
Authorities later brought the situation under control, allowing the Jaffar Express to continue its journey toward Dera Murad Jamali, officials confirmed.
Separately, the former member of Peace Committee, Haji Azam Khan was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Darra Itarafi, a locality of Maidan Tehsil in Lower Dir district, during the small house on Wednesday.