RAWALPINDI: As many as six soldiers of Pakistan Army were martyred and three terrorists killed in intense exchange of fire with militants in North Waziristan district of North Waziristan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.
According to military’s media wing, the encounter took place in Dir Duni area of the district.
“The Pakistan security personnel effectively targeted the suspected hideouts of militants killing three terrorists and leaving two others injured,” the ISPR said.
In exchange of fire, six soldiers including 36-year-old Havaldar Saleem Khan, 37-year-old Naik Javed lqbal, 26-year-old Sepoy Nazir Khan, 25-year-old Sepoy Hazrat Bilal, 22-year-old Sepoy Syed Rajab Hussain and 22-year-old Sepoy Bismillah Jan were martyred.
The military’s media wing said, “Sanitization of the area is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area. [The] security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve.”
The attack comes amid a surge in terrorist activities across the country, especially in KP and Balochistan, since the outlawed militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November.
Director General ISPR Maj Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in his maiden press briefing last month said that at least 293 people were martyred and 521 were injured in 436 terrorist incidents over the past year.
As many as 192 people were martyred in 219 terror activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while 80 people lost lives in 206 incidents in Balochistan, 14 people in five attacks in Punjab, and seven in six terrorism incidents across Sindh.
He had said that the army and law enforcement agencies carried out 8,269 intelligence-based operations during the previous year in which 1,378 suspected terrorists were apprehended and 157 were killed.
The DG ISPR had also said that overall 137 security personnel were martyred and 117 injured in anti-terror operations in the ongoing year.
