ISLAMABAD / ORAKZAI; Two Pakistan Army officers and nine soldiers embraced martyrdom during a major intelligence-based operation in Orakzai district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on the night between October 7 and 8, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Wednesday.
Security forces launched the operation following reports of the presence of terrorists linked to the Indian proxy group “Fitna al-Khwarij.” The troops engaged the militants in a fierce exchange of fire, killing 19 terrorists on the spot.
The martyred officers were identified as Lt. Col. Junaid Tariq (39) and Maj. Tayyab Rahat (33), both hailing from Rawalpindi. They led their men from the front and displayed extraordinary bravery.
The nine soldiers who laid down their lives were:
- Naib Subedar Azam Gul (38, Khyber)
- Naik Adil Hussain (35, Kurram)
- Naik Gul Ameer (34, Tank)
- Lance Naik Sher Khan (31, Mardan)
- Lance Naik Talish Faraz (32, Manshera)
- Lance Naik Irshad Hussain (32, Kurram)
- Sepoy Tufail Khan (28, Malakand)
- Sepoy Aqib Ali (23, Swabi)
- Sepoy Muhammad Zahid (24, Tank)
A sanitisation operation is underway to clear remaining militants from the area. The military reiterated its commitment to eradicating Indian-sponsored terrorism from Pakistani soil.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid glowing tribute to the fallen soldiers and praised the security forces for eliminating terrorists. He said, “The sacrifices of our brave soldiers will never go in vain. We will foil the nefarious designs of India-backed terrorists.”
This operation follows another major encounter in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district, where 14 terrorists linked to “Fitna al-Hindustan” were eliminated days earlier.
According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Pakistan witnessed a 46% increase in violence in the third quarter of 2025, with 901 fatalities and 599 injuries in 329 incidents, including terror attacks and counter-terror operations.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan accounted for 96% of the violence, with KP alone witnessing 71% of fatalities.
