At least four soldiers of the Frontier Corps (FC) were martyred in a gun battle with terrorists from the banned Fitnal Khawarij group, formerly known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in South Waziristan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), reported on Thursday.
The martyred soldiers have been identified as Naib Subedar Taib Shah, 38, from Tank district; Lance Naik Gulab Zaman, 30, from Karak district; Lance Naik Muzammil Mehmood, 30, also from Karak district; and Lance Naik Habibullah, 28, from Orakzai district.
According to the ISPR statement, the exchange of fire took place in the general area of Karama on Wednesday, during which at least five terrorists were killed.
The military’s statement added that a “sanitization operation” is underway in the area to eliminate any remaining terrorists, reaffirming Pakistan’s determination to eradicate terrorism. “Such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the statement said.
Earlier this year, the Pakistani government officially re-designated the TTP as Fitna al Khawarij, instructing all institutions to refer to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks in the country as “khariji” (outcasts).
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in militant attacks since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. These attacks are mostly carried out by groups linked to the TTP, targeting security forces in Pakistan’s border regions.
Just earlier this week, two soldiers from the Frontier Constabulary (FC) were martyred and four others injured in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, when terrorists from a banned outfit ambushed their vehicle. The martyred soldiers were identified as Sherur Rahman from South Waziristan and Syed Ameen from Swabi. The wounded include Havaldar Imtiaz, and soldiers Mohib Shah, Sahab Din, and Fazal Kareem.
In another incident last month, 10 police officers were martyred and seven others wounded during a terrorist attack on a police checkpost near the Afghan border in Dera Ismail Khan. A group of 20 to 25 militants launched a heavy assault on a Frontier Constabulary post in the area.
Islamabad has repeatedly stated that these attacks are being orchestrated from across the border in Afghanistan by militant groups, including factions of the TTP, a claim that is consistently denied by the Taliban authorities in Kabul.
