At least 11 military personnel, including a Lt Colonel and a Major, were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, news agency PTI reported, quoting the army.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said that 19 terrorists belonging to the Fitna al-Khawarij group were also killed during the operation in Orakzai district on Tuesday night.
Last year, the Pakistan government had notified the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna al-Khawarij, referencing a group from early Islamic history involved in violent conflicts.
The ISPR stated that the intelligence-based operation was launched after receiving reports of terrorists from Fitna al-Khawarij in the area during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. During an “intense” exchange of fire, 19 terrorists “were sent to hell,” the statement added.
The ISPR also informed that 39-year-old Lt Col Junaid Tariq and his second-in-command, 33-year-old Major Tayyab Rahat, were among the soldiers killed, along with nine other Pakistani soldiers.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the soldiers’ deaths, stating, “We will not allow elements that harm Pakistan’s integrity to succeed.”
President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the fallen soldiers and expressed his heartfelt sympathy with the families of the personnel. “The entire nation stands as a lead wall with its armed forces,” the statement quoted him as saying.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur also expressed condolences and sympathy for the bereaved families.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the banned TTP called off its ceasefire with the government in November 2022 and vowed to target security forces, police, and law enforcement agencies.
According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the worst-hit region in the third quarter of 2025, accounting for nearly 71 percent (638) of total violence-linked fatalities and over 67 percent (221) of incidents of violence, PTI reported.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both sharing a porous border with Afghanistan, bore the brunt of terrorist incidents, making up more than 96 percent of the total violence across Pakistan.
(With PTI inputs)
https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/pakistan-11-soldiers-including-lt-col-and-major-killed-in-clashes-with-ttp-militants-23597794
