NORTH WAZIRISTAN: The military’s media wing and sources report that 13 terrorists were slain and four security officers, including a major, were martyred in two separate confrontations in the North Waziristan district on Thursday.
Security forces carried out an intelligence-based operation in Mir Ali in response to reports of terrorist activity in the region, according to a statement released by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Six terrorists were killed in the crossfire after the army “effectively engaged” their stronghold.
Major Hamza Israr, 29, accepted martyrdom while “leading his troops from the front” throughout the operation.
The president and prime minister express their sorrow on the deaths of more than a dozen terrorists.
He came from the district of Rawalpindi.
The 26-year-old Sepoy Muhammad Naeem of Naseerabad, Balochistan, also accepted martyrdom after “having fought gallantly.”
A sanitization effort was underway to eradicate any surviving terrorists in the region, the ISPR statement continued.
Ambush According to local sources, seven militants were slain and two security officers were martyred in another shootout in North Waziristan.
The militants ambushed a convoy of security forces traveling from the Datta Khel camp to the Ghundi station, which led to the shootout.
Prior to this report’s publishing, the ISPR has not released an official statement regarding the attack.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has witnessed a dramatic increase in terror acts over the last two years, security personnel have carried out multiple operations since the beginning of this month.
Earlier last week, operations killed some 30 terrorists, including two ringleaders, and injured eight more.
ISPR claims that the districts of Lakki Marwat, Karak, and Khyber were the targets of terrorists’ hideouts.
In terms of both military and civilian deaths, 2024 was the worst year in a decade, according to military figures.
KP was the target of the most of last year’s 444 terror strikes.
The military claims that in 2024, security personnel carried out “more than 179 operations” every day.
Many “high-value targets and most-wanted terrorists” were killed during these operations.
Sending condolences
According to APP, Major Israr and Sepoy Naeem, who were martyred in North Waziristan, have received tributes from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari.
Their offices said in separate statements that they deeply mourned the troops’ martyrdom and paused to honor their valor and loyalty.
President Zardari offered condolences to the families of the martyrs and prayed for them to be patient in their grief.
The president declared that the country’s will to eradicate terrorists “will remain unwavering” and that security forces would keep up their operations until they were totally eradicated.
“We will destroy the nefarious intentions of anti-state elements and we will not allow the great sacrifices of the nation’s sons to go in vain,” stated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He went on to say that the government and security forces were called upon to “utterly eradicate terrorism.”
According to APP, the prime minister was present during Major Israr’s burial prayers held at the Chaklala Garrison in Rawalpindi.
The funeral was also attended by Chief of Army Staff Gen. Asim Munir, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
The soldier’s body was taken to his hometown for burial after the ceremony.