In an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Bakka Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu District, three Pakistan Army personnel, including a major, were martyred, and eight terrorists were killed, according to a statement from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Wednesday.
The operation targeted the reported presence of terrorists, referred to as “khwarij.” During the engagement, the troops effectively confronted the militants, resulting in the elimination of eight terrorists and injuries to seven others.
Major Atif Khalil, 31, who led his troops from the front, was among those who made the ultimate sacrifice. He was joined by two fellow soldiers: Naik Azad Ullah, 36, from Karak, and Lance Naik Ghazanfar Abbas, 35, from Layyah.
The ISPR confirmed that a sanitization operation was launched to ensure the area was clear of any remaining threats, reaffirming the military’s commitment to eradicating terrorism.
“Such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the statement read.
In a separate operation in Balochistan’s Zhob district, security forces also neutralized a terrorist during an IBO conducted on the night of October 29-30. One terrorist was killed, and another was captured with injuries. Weapons and ammunition were recovered during this operation as well.
The ISPR emphasized that Pakistan’s security forces remain steadfast in their determination to maintain peace and stability in Balochistan.
Earlier this year, the government designated the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as “Fitna al-Khawarij,” shifting the focus of its counter-terrorism efforts from physical to ideological fronts.
Violence has surged across the nation since the Taliban regained control in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly affecting the border provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. In response, the federal cabinet approved Operation Azm-e-Istehkam in June, a renewed national counter-terrorism campaign aimed at eliminating terrorism in line with the National Action Plan.
