Security officials have formally identified Lieutenant Colonel Sahibzada Gul Faraz as the commanding officer martyred during the intelligence-based operation in the Sra Darga area of Bannu.
The 43-year-old officer belonged to District Mansehra and was a graduate of Cadet College Battal. He was serving with 34 Lancers Company in Bannu at the time of the operation. Known among colleagues for professional competence and front-line leadership, he had participated in multiple successful counterterror missions during his career.
Lt Col Gul Faraz embraced martyrdom alongside Sepoy Karamat Shah when a suicide attacker rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the lead military convoy during the operation. The mission had been launched on credible intelligence regarding the presence of Khwarij-linked militants in the area.
He leaves behind two sons, two daughters, and his wife.
Operational Status and Ongoing Measures
Security sources confirmed that the area remains under heightened alert as clearance operations continue. Injured personnel were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment, while investigations into the network behind the attack are ongoing.
During the ensuing exchange of fire, at least five militants were killed. In what officials described as a desperate final act, the attacker detonated the explosives against the military vehicle carrying the commanding officer.
The area was immediately cordoned off, and a comprehensive clearance operation was launched. Injured personnel were shifted to a nearby hospital, while investigations into the attack continue.
Afghan-Based Facilitation Alleged
Security agencies traced the assault to an Afghan-based militant network. The attack was claimed by Itihad-ul-Mujahideen, a subgroup operating under the wider Hafiz Gul Bahadur network. Officials stated that senior commanders associated with this network continue to operate from Afghan territory.
Investigations indicate that the assault was planned and facilitated from across the border. The same network has previously been linked to major attacks in Bannu, including the March 2025 assault on Bannu Cantonment during Ramadan and the September 2025 attack on the Federal Constabulary in which Major Adnan was martyred.
Security analysts estimate that a significant proportion of recent terrorist incidents in Pakistan involve actors connected to Afghan-based networks. Authorities maintain that the Afghan Taliban regime has failed to prevent the use of its territory for cross-border militant activity.
Pakistan’s security forces reiterated that counterterror operations under the vision of “Azm-e-Istehkam,” approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, will continue with full resolve. Defence circles and public representatives paid tribute to the martyrs, vowing that their sacrifices would not go in vain and affirming the country’s zero-tolerance policy against terrorism.
